How he copes with the aftermath of his success and how his sport in India treats him will tell us a lot about Chopra himself and the athletics establishment. Inside an hour, Chopra has become the sporting megastar from a frontline Olympic discipline that India has never had before. Are our shrieks this loud because he's won gold or because of how he did it or both or what it has done to us? The gold has sent us into paroxysms of joy but with some unprocessed feeling. Had they given medals to distances, he would have won both gold and silver. Monumental! Beyond believable! - Sports world congratulates Neeraj Chopra on historic goldįundamentally, Chopra's gold medal came off three throws, one in qualifying and two in the first half of the final.The numbers stop mattering, it's the threat perception that has thrown up the barrier between Chopra and the rest. Nobody would know at the time, but the final is finished there, the medal is sealed there. There has never been another Indian Olympic performance like this. His back is turned towards the flight of the javelin and he is sprinting towards the stands. In one fluid motion, Chopra stops the fall with his hands, springs back onto his feet and raises his arms. Then comes the explosive release, his body sent tumbling groundwards in a technique seen today amongst the most elite throwers, if only to stop it from following the javelin into the air. His second throw, start to finish, is pure showbiz - javelin aloft, the sprint across the track, his right arm draws back, the spear fused on to his body like a limb. Given the up and down nature of Indian performances in Tokyo, the phrase 'Olympics pressure' has become central to discussions of our athletes' performances here, tagged on to the contingent. Neeraj Chopra's swag doesn’t involve trash talk, it just is because he knows what he is – world class. There have only been two throws and already the rest of the field knows Chopra has left them for dust. The titan of his field, Johannes Vetter, is yet to appear. Right there is what the Australians call a boilover. in Tokyo, he's the second man on the programme and his first throw hits 87.03m. He's the big name, he turns up for one throw, flings the javelin to 86.95m and leaves. Four days ago, he treated the Olympics qualification event like a weekend meet in an unknown European city with 100 spectators. It's not offensive or in your face, it doesn't involve trash talk, it just is because he knows what he is - world class. They had not sauntered before but now they can.Ĭhopra's swag is his signature. After today, stick that into the past tense. They are usually on high alert, wound up, looking over their shoulder, game face on. 2297, spotted bandana, floppy hair, every bit a strapping dude on the make, Chopra has sauntered through the Tokyo Olympics. India at Tokyo: Saturday recap | Key dates | Athletes | Medal tracker | Full schedule | Latest results Chopra's javelin final was both sign-off and send-off. This was India's last event in Tokyo, until now a mixed Olympics, achievements and six medals scattered through the two weeks, with crushing disappointments and heart-stirring performances. Monumental, with an emphasis on the second half of that word because we had even started counting the days since the Bindra gold. That's how monumental Chopra's achievement is. We have not had this kind of day, not in this kind of office, never in the living memory of a single Indian alive. And as if Augwas just another day at the office. Independent India's first Olympic medal in athletics is gold, its only gold in Tokyo comes from the field, its second individual Olympic gold comes with Chopra bossing it on the world stage as if we have, yawn, 300 Olympics golds. And the most freakish thing about it was how smooth and uncreased Neeraj Chopra made an Olympic gold medal performance look.
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