‘Technically, the throw was not that good’: Neeraj makes surprising admission about his 90m effort

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra made a surprising admission ahead of the new season, revealing he rarely watches his historic 90m Doha throw because it was technically flawed, preferring instead to analyze his more relaxed qualification-round performances

Doha: Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has revealed that he rarely revisits the video of the record-breaking 90m throw that made headlines at the Doha Diamond League last year, insisting it was far from his best effort technically.

Speaking during the Wanda Diamond League media interaction in Doha on Thursday, the Indian javelin star said he prefers studying his qualification-round throws because they better reflect the rhythm and technique he strives to achieve, unlike the more aggressive approach he often adopts in finals.

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Although Chopra finally crossed the long-awaited 90-metre barrier in Doha last season, he believes the landmark throw still had room for improvement. The reigning world champion explained that while the release was explosive, his lower-body mechanics were not at their optimum, leaving him convinced that greater distances are possible if every aspect of the throw comes together.

“Technically, the throw was not that good; it was really fast from the arm, but if I could do better with the lower body, maybe 2–3m more…. I haven’t looked at that video many times. I really like my throws in the qualification rounds, whether at the Olympics or the world championships, because I feel really relaxed and can throw really far.

“But whenever I compete in finals or the main competitions, I always try very hard, really aggressively, and I forget my techniques. So I don’t like to see my finals on repeat, and I prefer to see my qualification-round throws. They’re technically better,” Chopra expressed.

Rather than drawing confidence from his biggest throws, the 27-year-old analysed performances in which he feels relaxed and technically sound, believing they provide a more accurate blueprint for future success.

Doha remains one of the most memorable venues of Chopra’s career, not only because it marked his first throw beyond 90 metres but also because it produced a thrilling duel with Germany’s Julian Weber. While Weber eventually out-threw him on the night, Chopra said he took genuine satisfaction from seeing his long-time rival achieve a breakthrough after years of perseverance.

“That was really amazing that I broke the 90m barrier last year. Suddenly, after my throw, Julian (Weber) threw further than me. But I am happy for him because he also struggled. He threw 88m in front of me in 2016, and it took a lot of time for him too. I was happy for him,” Chopra added.

As he prepares to begin another season in Doha, Chopra remains focused less on distances already achieved and more on refining the technical details he believes can unlock even bigger throws in the future.