After winning a silver medal to add to his previous gold, Neeraj Chopra was more reflective than celebratory following the men’s javelin throw final at the Paris Olympics.
Chopra has struggled with a recurring groin injury for several years, which has affected his performance and prevented him from achieving throws as impressive as those of the gold medalist, Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, who set a new Olympic record with a 92.97m throw.
Chopra acknowledged that it’s time to tackle this issue seriously. He plans to consult doctors and may consider surgery to address the problem for the long term.
Neeraj Chopra Likely to Undergo Surgery
Neeraj Chopra, the famous Indian javelin thrower, is set to have surgery for a long-standing groin injury. This injury affected him during the men’s javelin final at the Paris Olympics on August 8, 2024.
Chopra, who won a silver medal in the event, has been struggling with this injury for several months. He had been thinking about surgery but decided to wait until after the Olympics to have the procedure done. The injury, a hernia, has been causing him significant pain and making it difficult for him to compete at his best.
Before the Paris Olympics 2024, Chopra had already talked about his groin injury. He first mentioned the problem during the World Championships in 2022, and it has been an ongoing issue since then. To manage the pain and still compete, Chopra chose his events carefully leading up to the Paris Games. His father also spoke about the injury after the Olympic final.
Chopra revealed that doctors had advised him to have surgery last year, but he decided to hold off. “I threw 89.94 meters in 2022 while dealing with this injury,” Chopra said. “When I throw, I have to focus a lot on managing the pain, which makes it hard to concentrate on improving my technique.”
Three leading doctors have been chosen to perform the surgery, as reported by India Today. Despite his struggles, Chopra still managed to achieve his second-best throw ever—89.45 meters—in the final.
However, he was narrowly beaten by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97 meters. Chopra had only one successful throw out of six attempts but still managed to win the silver medal.
In addition to his surgery, Chopra’s coaching team will also experience some significant changes soon.
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Neeraj Chopra Plans Coaching Staff Changes
Neeraj Chopra is set to revamp his coaching team. Biomechanics expert Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, who has been crucial in Neeraj’s journey to Olympic gold, will no longer be available for the entire year. Instead, Dr. Bartonietz will collaborate with Neeraj for just a few months annually.
As Neeraj and his team prepare for this transition, they anticipate further updates to his support staff in the coming months. Dr. Bartonietz, who joined Neeraj’s team in 2019 and played a key role in his gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics, had his contract extended by the Athletics Federation of India through the Paris Olympics.
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Neeraj Chopra Likely to Undergo Surgery FAQs
Q.1. Why is Neeraj Chopra planning surgery?
Ans. Neeraj Chopra is planning surgery to address a long-standing groin injury, which has been causing him significant pain and affecting his performance.
Q.2. When did Neeraj Chopra first mention his groin injury?
Ans. Neeraj Chopra first mentioned his groin injury during the World Championships in 2022.
Q.3. How did Neeraj Chopra perform in the Paris Olympics?
Ans. Neeraj Chopra won the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics, with a throw of 89.45 meters, falling short of gold medalist Arshad Nadeem’s 92.97 meters.
Q.4. What changes are happening to Neeraj Chopra’s coaching staff?
Ans. Neeraj Chopra’s coaching team will see significant changes, including a reduction in the availability of biomechanics expert Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, who will now work with Chopra for a few months annually.
Q.5. Who is Dr. Klaus Bartonietz and what role did he play?
Ans. Dr. Klaus Bartonietz is a biomechanics expert who has been crucial in Neeraj Chopra’s success, including his gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics.
