"Stopped using social media": Neeraj Chopra says not using his phone helped during javelin throw qualification

Neeraj Chopra made history by clinching the gold medal in the men's javelin throw at Olympics 2021. The 23-year-old became the first Indian track & field athlete to win a medal for India in the Olympics after he recorded a 87.58m throw in the final.

Neeraj Chopra broke onto the scene in 2016 when he created the U20 world record with a throw of 86.48m at the IAAF World U20 Championships. 5 years later, he has become the Olympic champion.

At the start of the event, Germany's Johannes Vetter was the favorite to clinch the top honors. However, the German could not live up to his expectations and made an early exit from the contest. The rest of the field also failed to match up to the level of Neeraj Chopra and his dominance. His second-best throw of 87.03m would also have won him the gold medal.

The Indian has been working extremely hard on his skills in preparation for the Summer Games. He even shifted base to Sweden in the months leading up to the Olympics.

One way Neeraj Chopra focused on the Olympics was by going off social media. Neeraj has not been using his phone during the Olympics and has limited his time spent on various social media platforms. Neeraj said:

“No social media because I wanted to focus on the event. If I interact too much then the thoughts of winning a gold keep coming up. I wanted to focus on the event and give my 100%. It’s only a matter of 15 days. So, I didn’t mind not having the phone around. I just focused on the event and training.”

Sharing his routine and preparation for the few hours before the final, Neeraj said:

“I couldn’t sleep on time last night. I went to bed around 12-12:30. Then I woke up at 5:30. I had my breakfast and tried to take a nap but couldn’t. I was raring to take the track. It was like a fire was motivating me from the inside.”

Despite this, Neeraj had faith in himself and the work that he had put in before coming to Tokyo. The effort, he was sure, would lead him to a medal. He said:

“I was confident of a medal since I had worked very hard. After the qualification, I was even more confident of improving on my throw but a gold has made me the happiest.”

The Indian found form from his very first throws. His first 2 attempts were the best he managed in the final. Sharing his experience and thought process in the final, Neeraj Chopra said:

“I didn’t think that but I wanted to do something special. I was feeling good. I was content after the qualifying round. The training also was good in these past 3 days. I thought I would get my PB, especially after the 2nd attempt, but I don’t know what happened. But, I have this [a gold medal] so that is important.”

Neeraj Chopra's mark of respect for the track

After securing first place, Neeraj was seen celebrating the win by bowing down to the track. On the reason behind such a celebration, Neeraj said:

“Half my youth has been spent with a javelin on that runway. The runway is like a god to me. I just thanked it after the win.”

He was also congratulated by his Pakistani counter-part Arshad Nadeem. Sharing the exchange with the press, Neeraj said:

“He just congratulated me. A photo of us standing at the Asian Games podium went viral. So, he said that we’ve done something similar to Milkha Singh and Abdul Khaliq.”

Neeraj Chopra dedicated his medal to the Indian runner Milkha Singh, who he wanted to meet after fulfilling his dream of seeing an Indian at the top of the podium. Sadly, the legendary athlete passed away earlier this year. He said:

“I was in Portugal when Milkha Singh ji passed away. I was very sad. I never met him. So, I wanted to meet him after winning an Olympic medal. It’s sad that he’s not with us any longer. Hopefully, he’s happy up there. His dream is true today. This is also for other athletes like PT Usha who missed the medals by the barest of margins. I hope they’re happy.”

Realised my unfinished dream today after 37 years. Thank you my son @Neeraj_chopra1 🇮🇳🥇#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/CeDBYK9kO9

— P.T. USHA (@PTUshaOfficial) August 7, 2021

Asked what he has done over the past few years to improve himself, Neeraj said:

“I didn’t do anything significantly different. I just worked on the little things in my technique and that is what has propelled me to this achievement.”

Neeraj Chopra has scaled the toughest mountain. He is an Olympic champion and the first one ever from his country to have become one in track and field. Having already won Commonwealth and Asian titles, the Olympic medal completes the sweep for the Indian javelin thrower.

However, Neeraj would himself acknowledge that his journey to the pinnacle of his sport is still incomplete. Indian fans will hope he continues to make progress and win many more medals for India in the years to come.