Neeraj Chopra won the Lausanne Diamond League with a throw of 87.66m with his sixth and final attempt last week as the Olympic champion got his second first place finish in the Diamond League events this year after his triumph in Doha.
Neeraj was returning from a strained muscle injury and the star javelin thrower admitted that he was not hundred per cent fit.
“Overall, my fitness level was a bit low (in Lausanne). Because of the injury, there was a question mark on my mind also whether I am 100 per cent fit or not, whether I have to push myself or not,” Neeraj said during a virtual media interaction on Monday.
“I need to improve my fitness, work on it (fitness) through training so that I can give my best at the World Championships and fulfil the dream of winning gold there,” he added.
Neeraj said his focus will be on preparing for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest slated to be held from August 19 to 27 with the javelin throw event’s qualification beginning on August 25.
“The World Championships gold medal is still missing from my cabinet. I have a medal in the World Championships but it is not gold. All my focus is now targeted at getting fit for Budapest. If I can do that I can prepare myself for Asian Games as well,” Neeraj said.
Fitness will be of paramount importance, Neeraj said, especially with three back-to-back high profile competitions lined up – the World Championships in August, Diamond League Finals in September and Asian Games in October.
“I have to go with 100 per cent fitness in these events. If I am not physically fit, I will also be not mentally ready. Not only the physical aspect, the mental aspect is also important,” Neeraj said.
“There is a lot of time now to work on my fitness and be ready for the World Championships and other major events,” he added.
World No. 1 Neeraj, who is also the defending champion, is not sure if he will be taking part in the remaining two Diamond League meets – in Monaco on July 21 and in Zurich on August 31 – of the cycle, ahead of the grand finale in Eugene, USA, on September 16-17.
“I want to remain fresh for the World Championships in Budapest. I have managed to secure 16 points in the Diamond League where only the best six javelin stars will compete. I believe that 16 points should be enough for me to qualify for the final,” Neeraj said.
Neeraj though added that he has not yet completely ruled out competing.
“There is still time before Monaco. We will see for up to seven days and decide on whether to compete there or not. If I feel that I am good and up for it, I will go there and compete.”
With the delayed Asian Games extending Neeraj’s season till around October, the 25-year-old said he will not be taking a long break in order to be fit and ready for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“This season is definitely going to end late for me but I still have enough time to prepare for Paris Olympic Games. Although after Asian Games, I won’t be able to enjoy a couple of months break and have to return to training immediately. I need to forget about vacation this time around,” he said.
“I think I took too much of a break after the Tokyo Olympics. I get unfit if I take a break from training for more than 2-3 days. I tend to eat too much and gain weight. Heading into Lausanne event, I think I was heavier by 1-2kgs since my focus was on recovering from injury and rehab. I couldn’t train with same intensity but we still have plenty of time before the World Championships,” he added.
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