There were two Neeraj Chopras on view at the Hayward Field on Saturday. Both were battling to keep the Olympic Games champion in the hunt for a World Athletics Championships medal. There was the physical Neeraj Chopra who was finding it hard to step up the plate and there was a cerebral Neeraj Chopra who was commanding every other aspect to come to the party.
There was a fidgety thrower, now tightening a strap around his right thigh, now stretching; now walking up to the judge to check how much time he had before he could line up his next throw. And then there was this calm lad who knew that he had to find the emotional drive to not only overcome everything else but also get it all together in that one massive effort.
The physical effort was there for all to see. The mental side of his game was not so apparent.
Saturday was not going to be the day when Neeraj Chopra would break into the 90 Club. Saturday was not going to be the day when everything would fall in place for him to achieve the rare feat of being a Javelin Throw Olympic Gold Medalist and adding the World Championships crown as well. Only two men have ever done that.
This evening, therefore, was all about showcasing resilience, much in the same manner that he won the gold medal with the very last throw in the Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar in 2017. It was about digging deep into the recesses of his energies to come up with a throw that would pitchfork him from fourth place to silver medal position.
Before the silver became his, he seemed unusually anxious, as if something was lurking at the back of the mind. The Monk seemed distracted, not so much by having to throw into a headwind or by thoughts that Grenadian Anderson Peters had already thrown past the 90m mark with his first two throws. But by the possibility of a groin strain affecting his performance.
He picked up the gauntlet, willed himself like a fighter to focus on putting together his best throw of the evening. With strong hands but dexterous fingers, an arm that rotated behind his body to gather extra energy, a flexible shoulder and a torso that moved separately to the hips, he found the power he needed.
And in that one almost magical moment with the sun setting behind the grand stand, he found what he was looking for. And he found redemption when he knew the spear would fly longer than it had all evening – an 88.13m effort, barely 4cm more than his Czech friend, Jakub Vadlejch.
Watch: Neeraj Chopra’s 88.13m throw that earned India historic Worlds silver medal
It was a throw that lifted the gloom spreading not just in the Indian camp here but also back home where millions woke up early to watch him become only the second Indian after Anju Bobby George to win a World Championships medal. Thousands of miles away, sinking hearts were rejuvenated and celebrations could begin.
Neeraj Chopra now has a rich collection – gold in the World Junior Championships (six years to the day), gold in Asian Championships 2017, Commonwealth Games 2018 and Asian Games 2018, gold in the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year and now the World Championships silver. He would love to get gold in Budapest but before that he wants the Diamond League crown.
“I am glad for my silver today,” he said. “I did not feel good in my first three throws. My warm-up was not good. And I felt something in my groin during the throw, but I think it is okay. It was a good experience to throw into such wind, I learned something from this. I will try to do better in Budapest in the World Championships next year,” he said.
He was not the only one who mentioned the wind.
Peters, the defending champion, too was hoping for longer throws. “The conditions – most of the throwers prefer the wind from behind but we had a head wind in the final. So, it was a bit challenging, but I pulled it off,” he said, having nailed three throws over 90m, including 90.54m on the final attempt.
“The last attempt, I already knew I was a champion, but I was working on my technique in every throw, and I finally got it through. I just wanted to go out there and enjoy the event and to put on a show. It was not important to beat anyone, but it was good to go there and have fun. To defend the title is not an easy task. I had to push myself,” he said.
Neeraj Chopra pushed himself, too, putting everything behind his fourth throw – months of hard work in Chula Vista in California and Antalya in Turkey before taking part in three competitions. His season had been curtailed, primarily because India celebrated his Olympic Games gold untiringly until he escaped the distractions to become fit all over again.
‘Once again made India proud’: How Twitter reacted to Neeraj Chopra’s silver
Yet, while he is already a legend in the making in one of the most competitive sporting disciplines, he remains grounded and respectful of everyone around him. And, just as one wrote back in 2017 when he won in Bhubaneswar, it is this quality that endears him no end to anyone whose life he has touched with his personality as much as his competitive skills.
He is creating a legacy in the Indian sporting firmament, but to be fair he makes no such claims. On the contrary, he is the first one to remind others about legends who paved the way for the fearless generation to explore new frontiers. It would be hard not to admire such a trait in the affable champion.
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