Neeraj Chopra breaches 90m mark: 'This is just the beginning, can throw much further'
Moments after he breached the 90m mark, world champion Neeraj Chopra said 'this is just the beginning' and his coach Jan Zelezny felt he could have thrown '2-3 metres more' on Friday night.
Chopra finished second in the Doha leg of the Diamond League, throwing a distance of 90.23m. He became only the 25th athlete to throw 90m or more and set a national record in the process.
However, the two-time Olympic and world champion was pipped to the post by Germany's Julian Weber, who threw 91.06m to finish first. Like Neeraj, it was Weber's first 90m-plus throw as well.
Speaking after his event, Neeraj said it was a 'bittersweet' feeling to throw more than 90m and finish second. 'But you know, it (has) happened with me (before) also. When I broke the national record in Turku (in 2022) with over 89 meters and also in Stockholm (when) I threw 89.94 (also 2022). I was always second. And also here, I broke the national record and came second,' Neeraj said.
Neeraj said he felt confident of managing a big throw mainly because the groin injury, which was holding him back, had healed. The groin pain affected Neeraj's throwing technique and did not allow him to explore his full range, the thrower had said.
Fit again, Neeraj said he felt better than before. 'I feel much better than in the last few years because I always felt something in my groin. And (because of) that, I could not give my best. So now I feel this year I can throw much further. It's just the beginning.'
Neeraj added Zelezny, with whom he's been working since February, predicted before the competition that he would cross 90m on Friday. 'I'm very happy that Jan was here to support me. Normally, he does not come to Diamond Leagues. But he told me that today is the day. And after 90m, he told me that today you can throw 2-3 more meters. But I'm happy with the 90.'
Chopra said he and Weber pushed each other, and he was 'happy' for the German, who too entered the exclusive club of 90-plus throwers. 'We tried very hard for so many years. So finally we broke 90 meters. I told him that today is the day, that we can both cross the 90m mark. So I'm also happy for him,' Neeraj said. 'And it was just the first competition of the year. It's a good push for us. In the next competition, we will push each other and throw farther.'
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