Paris: As Neeraj Chopra walked in for his mandatory media engagements almost close to midnight on Thursday after winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics that further burnished his credentials as ‘the superstar’ of Indian athletics, he was filled with mixed feelings.
Yes, there was happiness at having joined wrestler Sushil Kumar and badminton star PV Sindhu as the third Indian to win medals in two successive Olympics.
Draped with the Indian flag around his shoulders and proud of putting the country on the podium of track and field that’s totally dominated by the western countries or Africans in distance-running, there was a huge amount of disappointment too on his face.
The pain, due a nagging adductor muscle injury that had been hampering him right throughout the season, was visible. Although he and the rest of the javelin field were left with a mountain to climb after Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem hurled the spear to a new Olympic record distance of 92.97m in his second attempt, Chopra struggled to contain his emotions.
Every smile was followed by a grimace of a battered body that prevented him from going full flight at the Stade de France that saw him slip and slide repeatedly. The pain level from the groin injury had risen exponentially and the 26-year-old, pushing his body to very limits, somehow was able to conjure a season’s best of 89.45m in his second attempt. But there is always a limit one can push his body to and Chopra struggled thereafter as Nadeem finally beat him in a competition for the first time.
Chopra, although happy for his friend from across the border, said the groin injury limited his ability at the grandest stage and he may even consider surgery. “I’ve been having a problem in my groin for many years. When I compete, my mind is always 50-60 percent on the groin. Every throw I have to think of not aggravating the injury. This means I can’t throw in the technique that I want. It’s extremely difficult.
“The doctor told me to go for surgery but I didn't have that much time to make that decision before the World Championship or after it because it takes a lot of time to prepare for the Olympics. Now that the Olympics is over, I have to make some decisions about this. I’ll meet some good doctors, I’ll talk to my team. Maybe I'll have some surgery, I don’t know,” Chopra said.
Chopra is not the only javelin thrower coping with a battered body, his fellow medallists have had their fair share of theirs. Nadeem went under the knife for knee trouble last year while bronze medallist Andersen Peters, a two-time world champion, too struggled with career-threatening ankle injuries last year.
While injuries are occupational hazards for athletes from all spheres, the punishment javelin throwers have to endure is beyond comprehension. It’s a rare discipline where literally every part of the body is put under the wringer with only decathletes coming close to what they go through.
Here’s a sample of a single throw. After sprinting down the track at blistering speed and then hurling the spear that simultaneously tests the calfs, hamstrings, groin, shoulder as well as neck muscles, the thrower then has to de-accelerate instantly to not cross the line. It’s akin to bringing a speeding car to a sudden halt. And this has to be done day-in and day-out, not just for months but years.
“Javelin throw is the most brutal sport in track and field,” renowned strength and conditioning coach Ramji Srinivasan, who has worked with the Indian cricket team and some top athletes, told DH. “The instant acceleration and deceleration is unimaginable. Speed, agility, shoulder rotation, technique, strength, power…the factors involved in javelin throw are a lot more as compared to other track and field athletes.”
Chopra, despite the setback of the groin trouble, felt he still has lot left in his tank. “It's not good in sport to keep pushing your body and continuing. If you want to have a long career then you have to be fit and healthy. I’ve been pushing myself for the last few years, more so this year. As I said, I’ve not been able to focus 100 percent. The key is to have a healthy body and God has to be kind. If I’m fit then I can focus on maintaining a solid technique.
“The distance that I had in me in 2016, especially in 2018, when I scored an 88m in the Asian Games, after that, I feel that I still have a lot of throws left. So, until that happens, I won't be able to find peace. And I want to tell you that there is a lot inside of me and the fire burns bright. And I will do it. I will keep my mind ready for the future. I will work on things. The challenge is to keep myself fit.”
One just hopes Chopra is able to remain fit, not just for his good but for Indian athletics.