Neeraj Chopra's non-stop quest for perfection

Olympics hero Chopra may have made winning a habit, but the world No. 1 is quietly determined to get even better at javelin

- Deepti Patwardhan

Achha, mota lag raha tha main?" asked Neeraj Chopra with a chuckle as talked about his first-place finish at the Lausanne Diamond League during a virtual meet with Indian reporters. "Maybe I have. I must have put on some fat. Because of the injury, the training wasn't as intense but the diet was the same. But my speed had nothing to do with my weight or looking bulkier. I could have been faster on the run-up. But I knew I should push myself only to a level my body could handle."

The Lausanne Diamond League, which took place on Friday, was where Chopra had returned to competition after nursing a muscle strain for more than a month. That evening, the temperatures had dropped to 16 degrees Celsius in the Swiss city. Athletes, wearing extra layers of clothing, struggled to stay warm between their attempts.

"I was wearing a jacket but it was still quite chilly," he said. "There was definitely a question in my mind about the injury-whether or not I can push myself. For the first three-four throws I kept trying, but in my mind there was a barrier. I changed my focus, warmed up more, did a few more exercises."

His coach, Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, told him to increase the speed and start his run-up further behind, so he could gain the required acceleration without risking crossing the foul line. Though thoughts of aggravating the injury kept echoing in his mind, Chopra sprinted in and hurled the spear to a distance of 87.66m on his fifth and penultimate throw. Far from his personal best of 89.94m, but still the best of the day. Even on a day he wasn't feeling his best, Chopra got the job done, much like he consistently has in the big-ticket events for almost five years now.