India's top javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Friday said that he will look to regain his rhythm in the upcoming tournaments, after settling for silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Glasgow.
He finished the men's javelin throw final at the Games with a best throw of 85.83m, only for Sri Lankan youngster Rumesh Tharanga to surpass Chopra's efforts and clinch a best throw of 89.75m to win gold.
"I can't say my fitness is back to what it used to be," Neeraj Chopra told reporters in Glasgow after the final. "I'm getting there gradually. Doha (Diamond League in June) was my first competition back, and nobody could say I was fully prepared then. I was a little better here, but I'm still trying to regain my rhythm through the upcoming competitions," he added.
In the qualification round on Thursday, Neeraj's best attempt was a throw of 79.61m, which can be considered below-par going by his standards. However, after the qualification round, the 28-year-old had said that conditions were not ideal for javelin throwers because of the wind's unpredictable nature.
The athlete from Haryana commenced his 2026 season in June at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar. He had entered the competition following a lengthy delay due to an injury. "It's not really pressure to win gold," Chopra, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist now, said.
"The biggest difference is when you're 100 per cent fit. You have much more fighting spirit. You feel like you can do anything.
"But when you're coming back from an injury, you have to be a little careful with every step. Today I was cautious. Sometimes I wanted to throw with full power, and at other times I wanted to stay under control because of the conditions. Despite that, the throw was good," he explained.
Neeraj Chopra says he could have performed better
Chopra stated that he could have clinched a better throw, but said that the cold weather prevented him from doing so. He completed four successful throws and two foul throws. "I also had only one decent throw today," he said.
"I felt the other throws could have been better, but the javelin just didn't fly.
"I felt I could have thrown farther too, but the javelin wasn't holding its line. I don't perform my best in the cold. I prefer warmer weather… Because I have Indian blood," explained the two-time Olympic medallist.
Neeraj Chopra will next be in action at the European leg of the Diamond League later in August, before shifting his focus to the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in September.
"Definitely, there's still room to improve. I wouldn't say I've improved a lot this season. I could have done even better. The aim now is to keep improving gradually in the next competition," he said.
