Neeraj Chopra: ‘I’ll enter 90m club in 2023

Neeraj Chopra. Pic/Getty Images

India's Tokyo Olympics gold medal-winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra may have missed the 90m mark by just 6cm at the Stockholm Diamond League in July 2022 with a throw of 89.94m. But he is confident that his body is ready and will reach the magical mark this season.

Legends like Jan Zeleny (1996), Johannes Vetter (2020), Thomas Rohler (2017) and Chopra's rivals Anderson Peters (2022), Jakub Vadlejch (2022) are the elite members of this club.

Chopra, 25, said the question of when he will cross the 90m mark has been a regular feature since 2018, but he is likely to achieve the feat this season.

"I have been receiving this question [when will we see you enter the 90m club] since 2018. I have worked on my technique and trained hard. I believe I can achieve it this year because I was very close to the mark last season. I think the injury mid-season could be a reason why I didn't cross the 90m mark. I do not want to sound overconfident, but I have the belief that I will cross the 90m mark this season," Chopra, who will begin the season at Doha Diamond League on May 5, told a group of journalists over Zoom on Sunday. Chopra revealed how the question on the 90m mark does not irritate him, but it is always at the back of his mind.

Missed mark bothers Neeraj

"I missed it by just 6cm last time. I am not irritated, but it sometimes bothers me. What I try to focus on is giving my best. Sometimes, even 87m can give you the gold. Having said that, I will put an end to the 90m question this season," remarked Chopra, who has a busy season ahead as he aims to defend gold at the Asian Games and Diamond League final and eyes gold at the World Championships.

Also read: Neeraj Chopra to resume title defence at Doha Diamond League in May

"This year there are a lot of competitions, so I have to pick and choose. I have to sit with my coach [Klaus Bartonietz], physio [Ishan Marwaha] and decide which competitions I will compete in. There are a few important competitions like the Diamond League final, the World Championships in August and the Asian Games in October that we will have to focus on. But my target will be to remain injury-free," he said.

Fun competing with the best

Talking about his competitors Peters and Vadlejch, Chopra is not worried about their numbers but having them in the event keeps him on his toes. At the 2022 Doha Diamond League, Peters had thrown a massive 93.07m. Vadlejch entered the club with 90.88m in the same tournament. "I feel good competing with the best. That's something that I always dreamt of as a kid. It motivates me and helps me push myself. When you know who you are competing with, there's no room for complacency.

"You know you have to be on your toes and give your best. When you are alongside them, you know you have to throw a certain distance. I really have a lot of fun competing with these guys. There is a friendship between us because we are all javelin throwers," he signed off.