In a poignant farewell message, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra announced that he is parting ways with his long-time coach Klaus Bartonietz, who will be retiring and returning to his home in Germany.
Their partnership has been incredibly successful, marked by two Olympic medals - including a gold at Tokyo 2020 - two Asian Games golds, and a World Championship title.
"Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and a person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood by me through injury," Neeraj wrote in a post on X.
"You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows. You were one of the quietest in the stands, but your words to me rang the loudest in my ears when I threw. I will miss the pranks and the laughs we shared, but more than anything, I will miss US as a team."
"Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours," the 26-year-old added.
Klaus was initially hired by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in 2019 as a biomechanics expert. He later transitioned to become Neeraj's coach following a disagreement between Neeraj's former coach, Uwe Hohn, and the AFI.
Bartonietz's final competition with Neeraj took place at the Diamond League final in Brussels earlier this year, where Neeraj secured a commendable second-place finish. The accomplished javelin thrower had a remarkable season, clinching a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, finishing as the runner-up in the Diamond League, and participating in the Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar. Notably, this was Neeraj's first competition in India in three years, and he emerged victorious with a gold medal, achieving a best throw of 82.27m.
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