Neeraj Chopra: The Indian star javelin thrower was in the action for the first time as World Champion on Friday. But what we got to see was an underwhelming Chopra who was far from his best.
Don’t get me wrong, it was still an impressive performance. After all, the Olympic gold medalist finished second and qualified for the finals of the Diamond League in the USA. But was 85.71 meters the desired distance?
Before the start of the Diamond League, Neeraj Chopra stated that he would try and touch that 90-meter mark. And considering he was just a few centimeters away from that mark at the World Championship, everyone was hopeful.
Neeraj Chopra Unbeaten Run Ended
The World Champion was unbeaten in 2023 before the Diamond League. He won the Diamond League last year, and still has the chance to get that trophy but finished second in the qualification round.
He finished just 16 centimeters behind Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic who finished third in the World Championship. Neeraj had won two consecutive Diamond Leagues previously and everyone is hopeful that he gets his form back by the time of the finals.
What Went Wrong?
Neeraj Chopra has been struggling with injuries and rehab for a while now. He even had to miss the Commonwealth Games because of injuries. During the pre-match ceremony, the Indian star stated that he was not 100% fit.
He had complained about having bit of a pain in his right shoulder and his back. The Asian Games winner was also struggling because of the groin strain that he sustained in training in May-June.
The discomfort was visible as he began with a throw of 80.79 meters followed by two fouls. He dropped to fifth but covered the distance with his fourth throw which made him rise to second. His fifth and last throw went the longest but he crossed the foul line and it was not counted.
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