Neeraj Chopra, the Olympic and World Champion in Javelin throw, sounded a little disappointed despite his creditable performance in his first Diamond League event of the year as he finished second on Friday.
Though he faced a stiff challenge, the Indian prodigy came out with his best throw in his last attempt in Doha. He just missed out on clinching the gold by 0.2 meters. Chopra's best throw of 88.36 meters was enough for a second-place finish behind Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, who won the gold with a best throw of 88.38 meters.
Upbeat about his show, Neeraj said, "Honestly, I thought I could cross the 88m mark, but it wasn't to be. Though I'm happy with my consistent throws, I am not really satisfied with the overall performance, especially given that I had a foul in my very first throw."
Acknowledging the challenge, he said, "Considering it was the first competition of the season, I am happy I could throw 88m despite not being in the best physical condition for some unknown reasons. I have three or four competitions lined up. I am determined to work hard and prepare well for the next events. I will compete three to four times before the Paris Olympics."
Remaining optimistic, Neeraj said he was sure of touching the elusive 90m mark. "Today, I was very confident, but I couldn't cross my target. Maybe destiny is keeping something for me. I am happy with my consistent performances, and I will surely clear 90m."
On his competitive rivalry with Jakub, who had been behind Neeraj at the Tokyo Olympics and Eugene World Championships, the Indian said, "It was an exciting competition between me and Jakub. Only 2 cm separated us. We keep improving when we compete with strong competitors. I am sure I will do better in the coming competitions."
Neeraj Chopra is due to compete in the coming Federation Cup, beginning on May 12, as the Indian star returns to domestic competitions after three years. His last time competing in the Federation Cup was in 2021, before the Tokyo Olympics, in which he made history with India's first-ever Olympic gold in athletics by throwing the javelin excellently.
