The adductor problem that has troubled Neeraj Chopra for the past few months is “fine” now and the reigning Olympic champion has entered the high-intensity phase of his preparations for Paris, his German coach Klaus Bartonietz told PTI, dismissing concerns surrounding his fitness of the Indian star. . Chopra, 26, who made history by winning gold in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics, is once again the country’s best bet for a podium place at the Paris Games, which begin on July 26.
But his season is far from perfect in terms of fitness. Bartonietz, however, insisted things are back on track.
“Everything is as planned. At the moment there is no problem with it (adductor thing), everything is fine, it looks good, I hope to continue like this until the Olympics,” said the coach, who has been with Chopra for almost five years. , told PTI in an exclusive interview from Antalya, Turkiye, where they are currently for training.
“The Olympics are just over two weeks away, so the training intensity is high. He’s getting full throwing sessions.” Chopra withdrew from the Ostrava Golden Spike on May 28 as a precautionary measure after feeling “something” in her adductor (muscle group located on the inner thighs). He made a strong comeback by winning gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on June 18 with a throw of 85.97m.
He opted out of the Paris Diamond League on July 7, insisting the event was never part of his competition calendar this year.
Chopra’s competition day is just two weeks away, with the qualifying round set for August 6.
Asked about Chopra’s training routine, Bartonietz said, “We have running, jumping or throwing or weightlifting sessions alternately for activation in the morning. -hour duration each.
Bartonietz said the approach is much the same as the one taken before the Tokyo Olympics.
Chopra said that this time he is focusing more on training than competing. He is working on strengthening his blocking leg to mitigate groin pressure.
“Yes. Generally, javelin throwing is all about this (having a fast lane and blocking well). It’s very difficult to throw far with a bad lane. The more energy you bring with it, the better it is,” the bio said – specialist in mechanics.
“Three events before the Olympics are not a disadvantage”
Chopra competed in five events before Tokyo, but only three before the Paris Games. His coach sees nothing wrong with reducing competitions.
“You can compete in many events or not, it is difficult to say what is enough (number of events). It depends on the situation. Jan Zelezny (Czech legend and world record holder) says he does not compete in many events (only two before the Olympics in 1992, where he won gold).
“Competitions sometimes get in the way of preparation and you start all over again. Competing in high-level events can also become risky. Traveling a lot with logistics, with darts around the world, is also not good.
“So everything is fine, he prepared and trained well.” Asked about Chopra’s departure from the Paris Diamond League on July 7, Bartonietz said: “There were some minor problems, it’s not worth the risk by going there.
“The venue (for the Paris Diamond League) was also not the Olympic stadium (where Chopra will compete on August 6 and 8), so we decided not to risk it.”
It’s not safe to predict a medal
None of the top javelin throwers have performed exceptionally well this season and Bartonietz has suggested the competition could be opened up at the Olympics. As always, he didn’t even predict Chopra’s chances.
“The Olympics are a high-risk, high-pressure situation and anything can happen. Guessing a medal based on statistics is difficult.
“All the best throwers are training their best, they want to do their best in Paris and win a medal. Just like them, we can also say that Neeraj can win. too,” he highlighted.
German teenager Mex Dehning is the only one who has thrown more than 90 meters this year, and Bartonietz said it all comes down to momentum.
“An 88m throw might not be enough at the Olympics for a medal, but so could an 85m throw, you never know. It’s like a game of poker and some days you can throw far if you have the momentum.” In addition to Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic (silver medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics), Julian Weber from Germany and two-time world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada, Bartonietz also chose Oliver Helander from Finland as a medal candidate.
The Paris Olympic Stadium will have purple-colored Mondo tracks, which experts believe provide faster race times.
Asked if Neeraj will win with the track, Bartonietz said: “It’s basically for sprinters (to have better times). It could be good for Neeraj too, of course, but it’s for all javelin throwers, it could be quick. But it’s a question of taking full advantage of the speed.”
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