Neeraj Chopra’s attention to detail was in evidence in all that he did on Thursday to put himself in line to add a World Athletics Championships Javelin Throw medal to the Olympic Games gold that he won in Tokyo in August last year. Significantly, his unflappable temperament was on show, capping any emotions that he may have felt after his only competitive throw.
His choice of spikes to suit the track, his careful measurement of the run-up after his warm-up throws and the focus on the basics saw him nail qualification for the final with the first throw over 88.39m on Thursday. Yet, his calm, even matter-of-fact demeanour communicated that this was only part of the job – the real deal would come up on Sunday.
The others in the top five in the season’s lists have made it to the final. Make no mistake, Neeraj Chopra will not commit the cardinal error of underestimating his competitors each of whom will be vying to showcase his best. He knows that he will have to focus on his own throwing. He knows he should not be thinking about what the others have done so far or are capable of.
Yet, his inherent humility surfaced when he watched Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch also get a berth in the final with his first throw. The two of them exchanged greetings and watched the others in their group try once to get to that 83.50m mark before they left the arena with Sunday’s final on their minds.
The Indian Army man can be expected to draw from the experience of losing the top place in the Stockholm Diamond League last month where Grenada’s Anderson Peters came up with a 93m effort to pull the rug from under his feet. The Indian will try and add some extra distance on Saturday to insure against such heists in his maiden World Championships final.
In some ways, Anderson Peters may be creating some pressure for himself by speaking about his desire to become only the second man after the legendary Jan Zelzeny and by revealing that he is perhaps not 100 per cent ready as of Thursday. How he rides on the urge to retain the world crown may well determine his performance on Saturday.
On Thursday, many in India would have woken up to watching Neeraj Chopra secure qualifying with his first throw in competition. His second and third tries during the warm-up went past the automatic qualifying mark set at 83.50m and anyone watching the Javelin fly across the Hayward Field would have been convinced that he was a man on a mission.
“I am glad I qualified with my first throw itself and can now focus on preparing for the final,” he said after securing a berth in the final with that 89.39m throw, his third best of the season. “I will have a discussion with coach (Dr. Klaus Bartonietz) and train so that I well prepared for Saturday’s competition.”
When this writer asked him about pressure possibly increasing in the wake of his Olympic Games gold medal, Neeraj Chopra showed an acute sense of awareness. With the countenance of a statesmen, he first spoke of the positive side of such expectations before turning his attention to the simple way in which he remains mindful and thus not let pressure affect him.
“I am happy many (in India) will have woken up early to watch the competition today. It is good for our sport that so many people are supporting athletics. And yes, when I am on the runway with the Javelin in hand, there is only one thought – get the basics right to get a good throw,” he said.
After his media commitments, he said he would join coaches Dr. Bartoneietz and Radhakrishnan Nair and physiotherapist Ishan Marwaha to watch team-mate Rohit Yadav compete for a place in the final. In the event, Rohit Yadav managed a best throw of 80.42m with his opening throw and that helped him finish 11th to extend his stay in the competition.
Curiously, Rohit Yadav did not realise that he had made it to the final and was pleasantly surprised when told that he would join Neeraj Chopra as the second Indian in the final. “I was unable to get my best behind the second and third throws and will try to come up with an improved showing in the final,” he said.
Moments later, Eldhose Paul completed a good evening for India by becoming the first Indian Triple Jumper to qualify for the World Championships final. He produced three jumps over 16m, including a 16.68m effort on his second attempt, to slip into the final as the last of the 12 qualifiers.
Though one big effort can bring a medal, it is tough to see Annu Rani in women’s Javelin or Rohit Yadav or Eldhose Paul step on the podium. They have their work cut out not only in improving their skills but also in wearing that calm, unflappable cloak that the consummate Neeraj Chopra wraps himself with, effortlessly and elegantly.
This piece first appeared here. https://www.firstpost.com/sports/neeraj-chopra-checks-all-basics-to-ease-into-world-athletics-championships-final-rohit-yadav-eldhose-paul-join-in-10942081.html
