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Neeraj Chopra has stated that winning the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics has changed him for the good, both as a player and an athlete.
In Japan, Neeraj created history by winning the gold medal (with an 87.58m effort) in the javelin throw. He became the first Indian in over 120 years, and the first athlete from independent India, to win an Olympic medal in a track and field discipline.
Speaking at a press interaction, he stated that his mindset has completely changed since his Olympic win.
"The performance has gone up, and so has the experience. Before Tokyo, I didn’t have a World Championships medal, I didn’t have any position in the Diamond League. Everywhere I have competed [since Tokyo], I have done well, that has been a good change. Now I have the confidence," Neeraj Chopra said.
"Before Tokyo, I looked to do well, perform at my best. If I finished fourth or fifth, I would not mind it a lot. Since my Tokyo win, I know that wherever I go I have to perform well, perform consistently. I have been able to maintain that, which is good," he added.
The 26-year-old Haryana native stated that his Tokyo victory has given him the confidence to compete against the best players in the world at any event.
"After the Tokyo Olympics, there has been a change in the mindset. There is self-confidence now when I compete at various events. Since then, I have taken part in two World Championships and won medals in both — one gold and one silver. I have also won the Diamond League and Asian Games. Everything that I have won since the Tokyo Olympics has also given me confidence that I can perform at the highest level and against the best players," he explained.
While Neeraj Chopra has continued to break records and win medals, he has yet to hit the 90m mark. While it has been a topic of debate in recent years for the fans, he stated that he was not worried about it and that it could happen at any point.
"I will try to do it before the Olympics. If it has to happen, it can happen before the Olympics too. Everything is going well and if it has to happen, it will happen," he remarked.
Neeraj Chopra backs World Athletics' decision to award prize money to Olympic gold medal winners
World Athletics, the governing body for track and field events, recently announced that it will award $50,000 in prize money to gold medal winners at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was a landmark moment as it will be the first time an international federation will offer prize money directly to Olympic medalists.
When asked about the same, Neeraj Chopra praised World Athletics for their initiative and hoped that this would trickle down to other events too in the future.
"I think this is the first federation [World Athletics] that has taken such a decision [to award $50,000 in prize money to gold medal winners at the 2024 Paris Olympics]. This is a good start, a good addition," he said.
"World Athletics is getting a lot more active. Maybe this will get implemented in other events, like the Diamond League, Continental Tour, Athletics Championships, and others. It’s a welcome move," he added.
World Athletics has also stated that it would pay prize money on a tiered basis to all medal winners at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but the exact details have not been made public yet.
