Neeraj Chopra displays fighting spirit in Lausanne Diamond League, overcoming pain to achieve season-best throw

Despite braving the pain of a long-running groin injury that he is yet to fully recover from, Neeraj Chopra managed to dish out another stellar performance that once again underlined his status as a bona fide superstar in the world of track and field.

That Chopra had been dealing with an adductor injury was public knowledge even before he landed in Paris for the Olympics, and was one of the reasons why his workload was carefully managed by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). Concerns over Chopra’s injury grew further after he decided against returning home after a silver medal win, revealing that he might have to undergo groin surgery.

Chopra, however, chose to put the surgery on hold for now and keep his hopes of winning the Diamond League for a second time in three years alive by making himself available for the Lausanne meet — one of only four meets in this year’s Diamond League having javelin throw among its events.

And by putting up a show even better than the one he did in Paris earlier this month, Chopra made a defiant statement, highlighting his fighting spirit that, together with his skill and consistency, has made him the legendary athlete that he is today.

Chopra starts slow before finishing on a high

Looking back at the Paris Olympics, Chopra had breezed into the men’s javelin final in just one attempt measuring 89.34 metres. His performance in the final, however, would have been considered a disappointment had Chopra not secured silver with a season-best throw of 89.45 metres in his second attempt, as each of his other throws were fouls.

Such was the intensity of his second attempt that it ended up landing nearly two metres further than the throw that won him gold in the Tokyo Olympics. And had it not been for a record-breaking monster throw from rival and good friend Arshad Nadeem, Chopra would have actually walked away with a second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

Read | After Paris disappointment, Chopra explains how India can do better at Olympics

His performance at the Lausanne Diamond League meet on Thursday, on the other hand, couldn’t be more similar, and yet couldn’t be more different. For starters, the 26-year-old did not foul even once at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise, unlike at Stade de France where he continuously struggled to settle into a rhythm.

The likes of Grenada’s Anderson Peters and Germany’s Julian Weber were off to fiery starts, registering throws in excess of 85 metres in their first two attempts and touching 88.49m and 87.09m respectively in their second throws.

Chopra, on the other hand, began with a relatively sedate throw of 82.10m that was followed by throws of 83.21m, 83.13m, and 82.34m. All this while, he hovered around the third and fourth positions, briefly getting overtaken by the likes of Artur Felfner of Ukraine and Roderick Dean of Japan.

What truly differentiated Chopra’s performance at Lausanne from that in Paris earlier this year, however, was how he finished, and in the former, it was how the armyman saved his best for the very end that not only was a delight to watch but nearly translated to a victory. Chopra with a throw of 85.58m in his fifth attempt moved to the third spot. By then, Chopra was already in the fifth gear and would let out a triumphant roar in his final throw — a roar that often is followed by medal-winning throws.

Chopra managed to surpass his previous season-best by a mere four centimetres to register his second-best throw of all time (89.49m), though he once again fell heartbreakingly short of the magical 90-metre mark that has eluded him throughout his career.

And much like Paris, Chopra would have walked away with a victory in Lausanne had it not been for a monster 90.61-metre throw – a Meet Record — from Peters that had the Grenadian celebrating even though it was the first of three attempts in the final round.

Peters started with a throw of 86.36m and barring a modest fifth attempt measuring 82.22, did not let his intensity down at any given stage of the event and walked away deserved winner. Chopra and Weber, meanwhile, would have contrasting performances wherein one peaked too early while the other surged ahead with a clinical burst towards the end.

And by finishing second, Chopra maintained his consistent run of finishing among the top two in each event since the Tokyo Olympics.

“The feeling wasn’t great at first, but I´m happy with my throw, especially the second (career) best throw on my last attempt. It was a tough start, but the comeback was really nice and I enjoyed the fighting spirit I showed.

“Even though my early throws were around 80-83m, I pushed hard in the last two attempts finishing strong. Competing at this high level, it’s important to stay mentally tough and fight through,” Chopra said after the event.

The road ahead

The Indian currently is third on the javelin standings in the Diamond League with 14 points in two appearances — finishing second in Doha as well as in Lausanne. And from the looks of it, he’s through to the final that will take place in Brussels next month even if he decides to skip the Zurich meet.

Given his current physical state, Chopra might be inclined towards preserving his energy for the main event and saving his absolute best for the very end, much like his performance in Lausanne. He will be away from the field for several months if he does go under the knife, and will likely be setting his sights on defending his gold medal in next year’s World Championships in Tokyo once he regains full fitness.

Heading into a break with a second Diamond Trophy is how Chopra would want things to unfold over the next few weeks. And a victory in Brussels might just help ease the disappointment of missing out on gold in Paris.

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