Paris Olympics silver medalist Neeraj Chopra said he was confident of going past the Olympic record set by gold medalist Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. While he did go full out to win the silver medal with a massive 89.45m – his second-best ever and better than his Tokyo gold-winning throw of 87.58m – it wasn't enough against Nadeem, who set an Olympic record with a throw of 92.97m.
He acknowledged Nadeem's hard work and noted that competing against him always turned out positive. He hoped to break a record of Nadeem after his second attempt, which was close to 90m, but "somehow his body didn't allow." Chopra's initial attempt was a foul, as was Nadeem's. Trinidad's Keshorn Walcott led with an 86.16m throw, and Anderson Peters was second at 84.70m. Chopra's only legal throw was his second one, reaching 89.45m.
Though not gold, the consolation prize propelled Chopra into history books as the second male and third overall to win successive Olympic medals for India, joining wrestler Sushil Kumar and PV Sindhu, who won medals in back-to-back Games.
Satisfied with the silver win, Chopra said he will now focus on recovery. He is currently training in Magglingen, Switzerland, with coach Klaus Bartonietz and physio Ishaan Marwaha. Chopra revealed that he will be competing in the Lausanne Diamond League, starting on August 22.
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