India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra recently opened up about his performance in the javelin throw final at the Paris Paralympics 2024. Although Chopra gave his best, it wasn’t enough to win his second consecutive Olympic gold medal. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem took the gold with a record-breaking throw of 92.97 metres in his second attempt, setting a bar too high for the other athletes. Chopra managed just one valid throw in the second round, securing a silver with an 89.45m effort.
In a recent interview, Neeraj acknowledged that Nadeem's huge second throw put a lot of pressure on him. He explained that his first attempt, though good, was marked as a foul. He struggled to adjust to the new track, which added to the difficulty.
"The first throw greatly impacts the athlete’s mindset. My first attempt was good, but I fouled. The track was new, and I tried to adjust, but I couldn’t," said Chopra during the Mission Olympics 2036 event in Haryana.
He also admitted that he lost control after Nadeem’s impressive throw, saying, "I was angry and determined, but I missed the technical details."
Despite missing out on defending his gold, Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to win two consecutive Olympic medals, having won gold in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
