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India's javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra has parted ways with his coach Jan Zelezny. The Olympic champion ended his partnership with the legendary Zelezny after only one season. In a statement, Neeraj revealed the decision to split was a mutual one as he expressed his admiration for Zelezny and said he learned a lot from the javelin legend.
Zelezny, who holds the men's javelin world record of 98.48m, became Neeraj's head coach last year after the Tokyo Olympic champion parted ways with German Klaus Bartonietz. While Neeraj managed to breach the 90m mark under his coaching, the duo's overall tenure proved to be a mixed bag.
Under Zelezny, Neeraj made a remarkable start as he went past the 90m mark in their very first competition together at the Doha Diamond League. Neeraj threw 90.23m in the Doha Diamond League to finish second. The two-time Olympic medallist failed to go past the 90m mark in the remainder of 2025.
Expectations were high from Neeraj ahead of the World Championships last year. However, he ended up enduring a dismal campaign as he finished a disappointing 8th in the competition with a throw of 84.03m. Neeraj decided to part ways with Zelezny as coach after his poor show at the World Championships.
Despite parting ways after only a single season, Neeraj spoke with admiration for Zelezny and admitted working with the legendary javelin thrower gave him a new perspective about technique, rhythm and movement in the game. The two-time Olympic medallist said his partnership with Zelezny proved to be an eye-opener.
“Working with Jan opened my eyes to so many new ideas. The way he thinks about technique, rhythm and movement is incredible, and I learnt a lot from every single session we had together,” Chopra said in a statement.
"What I'm most proud about is the friendship I've built with someone who has been my idol all my life. Jan is not only the best javelin thrower of all time, but also one of the best human beings I have ever met," he added.
The World Championships 2025, where Neeraj failed to defend his title, turned out to be the last competition for him and Zelezny as a player-coach pair. Neeraj failed to finish on the podium in the competition, marking an end to a seven-year-long medal streak at international events.
Following Neeraj's decision to part ways, Zelezny also spoke highly of the Indian javelin superstar and said it was a great experience to work with the two-time Olympic medallist. Zelezny said had it not been for his back injury, Neeraj could have done well at the World Championships last year.
"Working with an athlete like Neeraj was a great experience. I’m glad we met and were able to work together, and that I helped him break the 90-metre barrier for the first time. Apart from the World Championships, he finished, at worst, second, and that is not a bad record. Unfortunately, the back injury 12 days before Tokyo significantly affected his chances. He has huge potential for the coming years," said Zelezny.
