Latest news with #Bartonietz
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Bartonietz backs Neeraj to hit 90m more often
New Delhi: Klaus Bartonietz, the venerated German biomechanics expert, was on a flight to Delhi when Neeraj Chopra sent his spear soaring into the Doha night sky last Friday, finally breaching the 90m barrier. Happy and relieved, he texted congratulations to his former ward and quietly moved on to his next assignment. The 76-year-old is currently on a weeklong visit to the Hisar centre of the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) where he is training a group of 21 throwers 'to become the next Neeraj Chopras'. 'I sent him my wishes for crossing 90 metres and also for being promoted to the rank of (honorary) Lieutenant Colonel. Both are big honours,' he said. Having trained the Indian javelin ace for five years, from his career-threatening elbow injury in 2019 to last year's Paris Olympics, Bartonietz has been witness to Chopra's quest for the 90m throw from the time he took him under his wings as a 'young, aggressive thrower who would just run in and throw hard'. 'Back then, he didn't have a stable stance. He would take the hip off too early. Gradually, he started to feel his throws, stabilise his block, feel his approach. It's been a great journey. 'And throughout this journey, we kept telling each other, '90m is just a number'. But deep down, we knew how badly we wanted it. It puts him in a very elite company, the one where he truly belongs.' Chopra, Bartonietz informed, once threw 90m with a 700g javelin in a training session leading up to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the duo was confident he would hit the mark at the Games. At the Japanese capital though, 87.58m was enough to make him India's first track and field Olympic gold medallist. 'You can keep throwing 90m in training, but the stress of competitions is something else. A lot of big throwers crumble in big events, but Neeraj is able to maintain his consistency.' A year later, Chopra threw 89.94m at the Stockholm Diamond League, agonisingly falling short of the desired mark but reinforcing their confidence. 'If you look closely, Neeraj released the javelin a few metres behind the foul line. And so, if you measure his distance from the point of release, it was over 90m. We knew it was only a matter of time,' Bartonietz recalled. Chopra, training under former Czech great Jan Zelezny since the Paris Games, threw 90.23 to finish second in Doha. The 'matter of time' lasted nearly three years with Chopra's groin niggle flaring up sporadically. Throwing, much like fast bowling, involves unnatural body movements where the twisting action puts tremendous stress on the lower back and groin. 'In javelin, we have to bring the hips around so fast which can cause a groin injury. He first felt discomfort in a session where he felt he was throwing at his best. It's strange,' Bartonietz said. Observing his protege from a distance, the German has noticed some 'micro changes' in his technique, which still appears a work in progress to him. Even the 90m throw, he analysed, had its imperfections. 'In my opinion, he was a little too straight but the javelin still landed effectively. I feel the javelin was sitting too hard with him; it was not relaxed enough, not controlled enough. That's because it's just the start of the season, and Neeraj will only get better.' Chopra's first throw in Doha travelled over 88m without him putting any visible stress on his body. However, his pronounced follow-through, where he would allow his body to fall, was missing. In his third attempt, where Chopra nailed the 90m throw, he did fall over but the body stayed in control. Bartonietz isn't sure which of the two methods work best – 'I'll have to do some research on that' – but he believes Chopra has unlocked the secret to throw far. 'Remember, he is yet to peak this season and he is a firm believer in process. He understands what process got him the desired throw and he will perfect it. There are more 90m throws in him and we can expect them this season itself. 'Men's javelin is very competitive with almost every thrower capable of hitting 90m. Neeraj's mental strength along with his ability to go 90m or beyond will give him a big edge in big events.'
NDTV
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Matter Of Time...": Bio-Mechanics Expert Reveals Secret Behind Success Of Neeraj Chopra
It was only a matter of time before Neeraj Chopra broke through the elusive 90m barrier, according to his former coach Klaus Bartonietz, who described the double Olympic medallist as a highly attentive and creative athlete constantly seeking to refine and improve his craft. Chopra opened his season in stunning fashion as he sent his spear to 90.23m in the Diamond League in Doha last week to finally enter the elusive 90m club. "It was just a matter of time (that he would breach the 90m mark)," Bartonietz told PTI when asked about his former ward's latest achievement. Chopra and Bartonietz, a German bio-mechanics expert, shared a highly fruitful five-year partnership during which the Indian javelin star collected a host of accolades, including a historic Olympic gold at Tokyo and a silver at the Paris Games last year. "Neeraj is a very responsive athlete, very attentive, and trustful. That trust places a responsibility on you as a coach to always be at your best," Bartonietz said. "But on the other side, he brings a lot of own mental effort into training. He is very creative towards his training in terms of looking for new exercises, looking for making the exercises more efficient, specifically for the javelin." Rather than functioning mechanically, Chopra approaches training with curiosity and initiative. "He understands very well what the event requires. What we (coaches) want is a creative-thinking athlete, not one that just asks 'coach what we have to do today' and just walk into (training) like it's a factory, just mechanistic working." Apart from the Olympic medals, under Bartonietz, Chopra also became a World and Diamond League champion, besides becoming an Asian Games gold medallist. The two amicably parted ways last year, with the septuagenarian stepping back to spend more time with his family. Bartonietz has since joined the Inspire Institute of Sport as a consultant and is currently conducting a five-day javelin workshop at their Hisar campus, set to conclude on Thursday. At the Diamond League opener, Chopra led the field until Germany's Julian Weber unleashed a 91.06m throw in his final attempt, edging the Indian into second place. And despite breaching 90m, Chopra later described his second-place finish as bittersweet. It was the 27-year-old's fourth runners-up finish in a big-ticket event. "There is no need to motivate Neeraj, he just knows that it is a sport, event. The throw (better than his) can come at any time, you have to be prepared to counter it. "But in Neeraj's case, no. He knows. He doesn't require motivation. He comes in with this mindset," he added.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Neeraj's former coach Bartonietz takes up a new challenge in India
Klaus Bartonietz decided to step away from coaching last year after a five-year stint with Neeraj Chopra, but the German biomechanics expert is back in India, in a new role, aiming to guide the next generation of javelin throwers. Coming on as a consultant with JSW's Inspire Institute of Sports, Bartonietz held a week-long training camp at its academy in Hisar, working with upcoming talent including the likes of Jyoti — India's best thrower after Annu Rani at the moment — South Asian under-20 gold medallist Deepika and 18-year old Manpreet Singh, who trained in South Africa earlier this year. The searing heat in the region has been a non-issue for the 76-year-old. 'It is good, the heat, cold is not good for training,' he quipped. Champion coach in town! 👨🏫✨#TeamIIS is proud to announce that Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, who previously coached Neeraj Chopra to his Tokyo Olympics Gold, has joined us as the technical expert for the throws programme in Hisar. He had a five-day session with our throwers at Hisar.… — Inspire Institute of Sport (@IIS_Vijayanagar) May 20, 2025 'I'm retired as a full-time, responsible coach. I need more time for family in Germany, daughter with grandchildren in Australia. But I asked Manisha Malhotra, and she had the idea to bring me in to support the coaches and athletes here in Hisar, where they are building a centre for throwers,' Bartonietz said in an exclusive interaction with The Hindu on Wednesday. The plan He explained that the plan was to visit several times a year, for seven to 10 days, holding short camps and tracking athletes' progress. 'It was for a week now, maybe next time in July for two weeks. 'I will also be going around the village of Bangaon, where the javelin throwers are living in the Javelin Academy. I was critical, but it's a school with a really strong javelin centre, amazing talent. And they train hard,' Bartonietz added. The Bangaon academy in Haryana's Fatehabad district, started and run by coach Hanuman Singh, has the distinction of holding the National record in women's javelin in every age group except the senior level. Bartonietz also insisted that while the hype after Neeraj's Olympic gold saw interest spiking in javelin throw, a well-defined plan was essential to convert the potential into results in the long term. Relearning counterproductive 'It needs proper learning, a proper programme from the grassroots starting with kids, latest by 10-12 years, throwing javelins and learning to throw properly so that relearning is not necessary. Re-learning any technique is very counterproductive; it takes time and, in most cases, does not happen. Then they are not using their full potential and are prone to injuries. Glad to capture a moment with the men who made it possible - my coach Klaus Bartonietz and Physio Ishaan Marwaha. 🙏 — Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) August 13, 2024 'What we also don't want is rushing into success. The athletes, coaches, administration, and everyone is asking for medals and results everywhere in the world. You need to give them time to develop – these kids need a year for general preparation before they can start into event-specific training,' he explained. And yes, he did congratulate Neeraj after his recent 90m throw at the Doha Diamond League and was visibly proud of his ward. 'I was in flight during the competition, and then we got busy here, but I saw it later and messaged him. Nothing special, just congratulations, now that the mark is breached, keep going. 'I felt proud for Neeraj that he finally did it. And being sure that it's not the only one. Some athletes do it only once in life, then struggle all the time. But for him, this is just a stop on the way to bigger things, it's the beginning of the season. We have to plan to meet when he is in Europe... let's see,' he signed off.
Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Neeraj Chopra's former coach Klaus Bartonietz back in India to guide coaches and mentor budding throwers
The contrast between Hisar in Haryana and Oberschlettenbach, a village in south-west Germany, is stark. The latter is home to just 130 residents, has scenic hiking trails, forested mountains and old castles. The summers are pleasant. Hisar has a population of over three lakh, a bustling city centre with temperatures touching 43 degrees centigrade in May. For biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, better known as Neeraj Chopra's coach before the legendary Jan Zelezny took over earlier this year, Oberschlettenbach is home. He returned to the German village when his successful partnership with Chopra ended last October, after fetching two Olympic and two World Championship medals. Seven months later, the 72-year-old is in India as a coaches' coach at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) centre in Hisar, formed via an MoU with the Sports Authority of India (SAI). October to mid-April was a welcome break for Bartonietz. 'There's no traffic in Oberschlettenbach. In the middle of the village, water comes out of a fountain, we drink that water. We went to the forest to cut firewood. In March and April, we plant potatoes,' Bartonietz said about his life away from coaching. With wife Luba, he also travelled halfway across the world to meet their daughter and her family in Queensland, Australia. His son works in the IT industry in Hamburg. In the mid- 1970s, as a 25-year-old, Bartonietz met Luba, a 20-year-old Russian gymnast, in Dombai, in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains. They have been married nearly four decades. But after the break at home and the extended holiday Down Under, Bartonietz got the itch to coach again. Luba realised Bartonietz was getting restless. It was around this time that IIS president Manisha Malhotra offered him the role of a consultant in Hisar. 'Manisha had the idea. Don't let him go so easily out of India. Let him come back and help us to work with our younger throwers. So we thought about such a project,' Bartonietz told The Indian Express. Among the javelin throwers in Hisar is Deepika, a silver medallist at the 2022 Asian Under-18 Championship, and Jyoti, a former junior national gold medallist. Himanshu, the current Asian Under-18 javelin champion, is also one of the trainees. Bartonietz guides the coaches who train 21 throw-events athletes. He has been at Hisar for less than a week and returns home on Friday to complete coaching assignments he had signed up for earlier. The short visit to the Haryana town is like a recce, to figure out what he is getting into as a long-term consultant of the throws programme. 'There are five or six athletes who are at a very good level and require very sophisticated coaching so their talent is not wasted. It unfortunately happens too often, everywhere in the world,' Bartonietz said. The veteran coach is particularly impressed by the medal-winning potential and backstory of Jyothi and Deepika from Bangaon, a village nearly 50 kilometres from Hisar, where physical education teacher Hanuman Singh set up a javelin academy. 'They are already the best in India in their age group. There is no synthetic track in their academy, Next to them, buffaloes go swimming. The good thing is these are kids of farmers, so they get a good environment, healthy food and buffalo milk,' Bartonietz said. He is following the East German philosophy, where a coach is responsible for an athlete. Others, like consultants, can advise the coach but not the athlete directly. 'I, as an outsider, cannot interfere with the process. I have to speak to the coach and then the coach says, 'okay, maybe we do it this way'. With the coaches here (in Hisar), we have already become like a team. I discuss my observations with them.' Bartonietz may take up a direct coaching role for athletes who have the potential to excel at a higher level, Manisha said. 'Ideally, we would like Klaus to train the trainers or coaches because they are the ones who will be there on a day-to-day basis. When you work with developmental athletes, they don't need a coach of Klaus's level. Biomechanics comes at an elite stage. If there are athletes who he thinks can reach the Olympic level, then next time he comes, he could have specialised sessions with them,' she told The Indian Express. The aim is to boost the talent pool, so the next potential Chopra does not slip through the net. 'We are going to Bangaon and the surrounding areas, to the clubs, the academies to get them more aligned. You have to reach out to as many people as you can. We have a team in Hisar that goes around talent-scouting,' Manisha added. While he focuses on the next generation, Bartonietz is still in touch with his famous ward. When Chopra was promoted as honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, he sent a congratulatory message. He, however, steers clear of talking tactics with Chopra but is glad that he not only broke the 90-metre barrier at the Doha Diamond League but is also free of the groin problem. Behind the scenes, Chopra's long-time physio Ishaan Marwah, has worked wonders, Bartonietz said. 'It has taken a lot of sophisticated work with his physio. Only a healthy athlete can perform well. It's a good beginning (to the season). Now he knows what he can do. We used to jokingly say it is just a number, But still it (90 metres) is in your head. If he's well prepared, he'll be able to throw 90 metres again,' the German said.
News18
21-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
'He Didn't Trust...': Klaus Bartonietz Berates Shivpal Singh Over Doping Ban
The German also denounced the environment created in the sport due to doping and condemned athletes who incline towards any form of breakaway from the rules set in place. German bio-mechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz, who helped Chopra to two medals at the Olympic Games, lambasted Shivpal Singh over his second doping offence that could lead to a lengthy ban of 8 years. 'Disappointed? I don't know. But I'm really pissed off. So stupid," Bartonietz said after 29-year-old Shivpal tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition test earlier this year. 'It shows that you don't trust in this process," the 75-year-old said. 'All those who are doping don't trust that they can reach the top by normal nature of training," he added. Shivpal, who comes from a proud lineage of javelin throwers, including his father and two uncles, also represented India at the Paris Olympics, during which Neeraj clinched Silver. 'It makes me so angry that they are promoting javelin throw everywhere and coming from a family of javelin throwers and then doing these things," Bartonietz added. 'This is like cheating. And carrying the Indian flag proudly, saying Jai Hind, by cheating. I have no word for this. But the good thing about the Shivpal story is that, he got caught. So, the system is working." advetisement Bartonietz, briefly worked with Shivpal during his early days in India, when he was brough in to assist the then head coach Uwe Hohn. 'When I came to India, I was like assistant coach to Uwe Hohn because we had 17 athletes and he could not handle it," he said. 'There was Neeraj, Annu Rani and Shivpal, they were at the top and he was travelling around them," he reflected. 'At the same time, no one was coaching them. It was my job to come and to coach them. So Shivpal was with Uwe, but sometimes we worked together," he recalled. 'After Neeraj's surgery, I started to work with Neeraj and coach Uwe was then fully responsible for Shivpal, Annu and the others. Even if you're not a personal coach directly for him…You trusted actually, and you think he trusts you," 'It means, he didn't trust you anyway," he expressed in an unpleased manner. 'So, even when Shivpal did not come for training four times after he had an evening where he was no more able to train the next day," Bartonietz added. The German also denounced the environment created in the sport due to the act of doping and condemned athletes who incline towards any form of breakaway from the rules set in place against the culture of doping. 'I had a Kazakh high jumper come to me in Germany and said how can you expect me to be dope free when all the others do it? This is a wrong mindset that these young people have," he concluded. First Published: May 21, 2025, 22:01 IST
