’I didn’t feel any pressure in Olympics’: Neeraj Chopra after historic win
'So I decided to break the Olympics record of 90.57 m. I gave my best but couldn't. I aim to achieve the mark of 90-m mark soon'
Neeraj Chopra was not intimidated by the grandeur of the stage, drawing upon his prior experience of international tournaments to overcome the pressure. The 23-year-old Naib Subedar in the Indian Army proved his mettle to win the Gold medal in javelin throw at Tokyo Olympics this Saturday, becoming the first Indian ever to win the prestigious accolade in an athletic event.
"The most important thing for me this year was to participate in international competitions. The two, three international competitions where I played helped me a lot," Neeraj said at a virtual press conference.
"So I didn't feel any pressure in Olympics and I was able to focus on my performance," he added.
Chopra threw the javeline to a distance of 87.58 metres, short of his own personal record at 88.07 metres, and still managed to beat the seasonal bests of three players who finished right below him.
The Indian athlete opened the evening with a strong throw of 87.03 metres, which none of his competitors could matched in their first tries. He bettered it with the second throw of 87.58 metres, which became the best throw of the final.
While he wasn't able to improve any further, it was enough to get him the coveted medal. He is now the second Indian after Abhinav Bindra to win a gold medal in individual events.
"A good first throw gives you the confidence and puts pressure on other throwers. My second throw was also very stable," Neeraj Chopra said.
After his historic performance in Tokyo, Chopra has his eyes set on another record to break.
"My personal best was 88.07 metres. So I decided to break the Olympics record of 90.57 m. I gave my best but couldn't. I aim to achieve the mark of 90 metres mark soon," he said.
Neeraj Chopra had announced his arrival in style in the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday when he threw a monstrous throw of 86.65m and automatically qualified for the final after just his first attempt.
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Business NewsSportsOlympics News’I didn’t feel any pressure in Olympics’: Neeraj Chopra after historic win
First Published:7 Aug 2021, 10:28 PM IST
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