It took all his effort for Neeraj Chopra to win the Lausanne Diamond League javelin title last week, the winning throw coming in his fifth attempt in cold, damp conditions that tested the field. Coming off a muscle strain that forced him to miss out on three events since his last outing in Doha, the Olympic champion admitted injury scare held him back initially.
“Honestly, there was a question mark on my mind, whether I can push myself 100%. The injury concern was there even though I had felt good in the training sessions. There was a mental barrier to pushing myself. But then I spoke to my coach who asked me to increase the run-up a little and realised I can do better, increased my speed and went all out in the fifth throw,” Neeraj said on Monday.
Even though the distance (87.66m) was far from his best, the 25-year-old was satisfied with his performance.
