Neeraj Chopra lived for 2,566 days in a world where the stage was his permanent residence. Between the 2021 Kuortane Games and the 2025 season, the Indian javelin ace has never finished outside the top two. It was a streak that seemed like a law of physics – until the 2025 Tokyo World Championships, where they finished eighth in shock.
Now, in an exclusive interview, Chopra has opened up about the fractures that led to his prominent parting with coaching legend Jan Železný“double minded” agony competing through a disc injury in Tokyoand his meticulously cautious training regime for the 2026 season.
In May 2025, the partnership between the world’s most famous thrower and the world record holder seemed destined for perfection when Chopra finally broke the 90m barrier in Doha. Behind the scenes, however, the Czech legend’s toolbox didn’t quite match the Indian machinery.
“I was with him for almost a year. We didn’t have the same training and techniques that we used to have in the beginning. We didn’t have the same training and techniques that we used to have in the beginning,” Neeraj said.
“I had to travel according to his schedule. He wasn’t just with me, he was with the Czech Republic team. I had to travel according to his schedule. We had to do a lot of things. I had to cook my own food. There was a training facility. A lot of things changed. The training plans didn’t suit my body.”
Chopra insisted that the split was based on mutual respect.
“I spoke to him. We discussed it after the World Championships in Tokyo and we felt it didn’t match. He told me I could tell him if I felt that way. I thought about it a lot. I respect him a lot – he helped me a lot. I still respect him.”
Chopra has now returned to his roots, reuniting with Jai Choudhary, his coach from his formative years, and his trusted physio Ishaan Marwa.
“When the throw didn’t come, I told him. It was a mutual decision to part ways. I wanted to try something different. So I thought I’ve been throwing for many years, I understand my body, so I’ll try to work things out my way that suits my body.”
“So Jai Choudhary, who started training with me, is back with me. Ishan bhai is with me. I’m looking to figure out my own way to improve.”
HEART IN TOKYO
Eighth place in Tokyo wasn’t a failure of skill, but a battle against biology. Two weeks before the practice ball championship in the Czech Republic, a sudden jolt during the front throw caused a problem with the disc.
“I had something in mind. It was the World Cup. If it was any other competition, I wouldn’t have participated,” admitted Chopra.
He was caught between the desire to protect his body and the pressure to maintain his historic streak at one of the biggest events of the Olympic cycle.
“I knew the reason. I knew it was going to happen, but I felt I had to maintain something for a long time. I felt I had to stay on the podium.”
The internal conflict was palpable.
“At that time I was in two minds. It was very difficult for me to make this decision. I was very confused. It took some time but I accepted that it is a sport and it happens. Now the main thing is how I have to come back and stay in the same place.”
DISTANCE SHARPNESS
Chopra hasn’t literally thrown a javelin since that night in Tokyo. His preparation for 2026, which included camps in Potchefstroom, South Africa, and Antalya, Turkey, was an exercise in restraint.
“I threw my last javelin in Tokyo. After that I didn’t throw again. It took some time to rehabilitate,” he said.
The focus shifted from brute strength to “small problems” and metabolic efficiency. In a significant change to his cardio, he abandoned his favorite middle distance runs.
“In South Africa, I ran more – core strength and small challenge exercises. I started jumping. When I came to Turkey, I started doing medicine balls and weightlifting. I changed the distance running to sprinting. I used to do 800 meters, but I think javelin throwers don’t run that much. I reduced it to 100 meters. When the competition is close.”
With the Nagoya Asian Games on the horizon, Chopra is eyeing a return to the top even though she knows the field has grown teeth. With Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage and compatriot Sachin Yadav all in the mix, the 2026 season promises to be the ultimate test of Neeraj 2.0.
“I like to be fit at the start,” he said.
However, the most striking change is visual. The boyish, clean-shaven face that had become the poster child of India’s Olympic glory has been replaced by a rugged, bearded look. It’s a transformation that feels more than aesthetic; it is an outward sign of stubborn thinking.
The golden boy has matured into a veteran who has tasted defeat and found it obvious.
– The end
Published on:
18 Apr 2026 19:14 IST
