Neeraj Chopra reveals hidden reason behind World Championships failure
Neeraj Chopra suffered a back issue that triggered while training before the Worlds in Czech Republic, where his coach Jan Zelezny hails from.
New Delhi: A back problem hindered Neeraj Chopra's efforts to make a fairytale return to the site of his historic Olympic triumph at the World Championships on Thursday.
The top javeliner failed to defend his Worlds crown at Tokyo's National Stadium, where he won India's first track and field Olympic gold medal in 2021.
He came nowhere near his season's best of 90.23m as he finished eighth a best attempt of 84.03m in slippery conditions.
"I don't understand what happened today. This has not happened for a long time. Two weeks ago I had some back issues but I didn't want to tell anyone," Chopra said, as quoted by Reuters.
"I was thinking I would still manage to get through it but javelin is really tough. If you are not in a good shape, you're out."
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) was aware of Chopra's back issue that triggered while training before the Worlds in Czech Republic, where his coach Jan Zelezny hails from.
"Yes, it is true that Chopra has been troubled by a back problem for the last couple of weeks. He kept us informed about that," an AFI official told PTI.
"It (back problem) must have affected his performance, but he should not worry about his performance. Win and loss happen in sports. Moreover, javelin is such an event that you may not click very well on a particular day and nothing at all on another day."
Sachin Yadav impresses
Chopra flopped but his compatriot Sachin Yadav impressed with a personal best of 86.27m on his first attempt to finish fourth.
Trinidad and Tobago's Keshorn Walcott won his first global title since he bagged Olympic gold in 2012 with a throw of 88.16m.
"It feels great, it feels great, it's been a long 13 years. It's painful, but it's the best thing that ever happened to me. It's like the most toxic relationship ever. It just keeps pulling you back," said Walcott.
Two-time world champion Grenada's Anderson Peters claimed silver with a throw of 87.38m while Pakistan's reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished 10th with a best throw of 82.75m.