Despite consistent performances through the season and being widely tipped during buildup to the World Championships as the only Indian standing any chance of making it to the podium, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra endured a disappointing outing on Thursday in London, reported PTI.
The 19-year-old was at a loss of words while trying to explain what went wrong for him during the qualifying rounds. Chopra’s foul throw in his second attempt all but sealed his fate. He could come nowhere close to his of 86.48 metres or his season’s best display of 85.63. Chopra also lamented not having a coach for the championships.
Chopra failed to make an impact as he crashed out of the World Championships after putting up a below-par display. Carrying the hopes of the entire country on his young shoulders, Chopra could not hurl the iron spear to the the automatic final round qualification mark of 83-metre in his three attempts with his best effort of 82.26 metres coming in his opening throw.
The 19-year-old, a world junior record holder. then fouled his second attempt before clearing only 80.54-metre in his third and final throw to finish seventh in his group and 15th overall at the Olympic Stadium. “I tried my best but I could not clear the automatic qualification mark of 83 metres and I am disappointed. I gave a lot of effort in the first throw but it missed the 83-metre mark by a few centimetres.
There were some problems in the second throw and the third one also did not go the distance (of 83 metres). I have been training hard for this World Championships but I could not do well in the actual competition,” Chopra said after the race.
“It would have been ideal if a coach had come with me but that is not in my hands. I don’t know what had happened today, I cannot say now whether it was technical issue or other factors,” he added. Neeraj was 14th in the world rankings coming into the tournament.
The Indian has three 85-metre throws this season and his two Diamond League appearances in Paris and Monaco last month – where he had finished fifth and seventh respectively – after rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the world. Meanwhile, India’s other competitor, Davinder Singh Kang, became his country’s first to progress to the finals of the javelin throw event.
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