Neeraj Chopra Reflects on Silver at Paris Olympics: ‘I Couldn't Push Myself to My Extreme’

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won silver at the Paris Olympics, admitted he couldn't push himself to the extreme due to physical constraints. Despite being mentally prepared, Chopra couldn’t replicate his best form, ultimately securing silver with a throw of 89.45 meters.

Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who clinched a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, acknowledged that he couldn't push himself to his limits. Chopra, who fell short of retaining his gold medal in the men's javelin, secured silver with a best throw of 89.45 meters.

In a virtual press briefing, Chopra, 26, confessed that while he was mentally prepared, he lacked the physical readiness. "I never thought I couldn't do it. Arshad Nadeem's best was 90.18 meters from the Commonwealth Games, my best was 89.94 meters. I couldn't push myself to my extreme," said Chopra. He noted that his legwork wasn't up to par during the final.

Chopra announced he will compete in the Lausanne Diamond League starting August 22. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem won gold with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 meters. Grenada's Anderson Peters claimed bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters.

Reflecting on his performance, Chopra expressed disappointment, citing fitness issues over the past few years. "I am not that happy with my performance today. My technique and runway were not good," he admitted. Injuries also hampered his title defense in Paris, and he emphasized the need to work on being injury-free and refining his technique.

(With inputs from agencies.)