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Neeraj Chopra recently shared a glimpse of his training ahead of the 2024 Doha Diamond League. He is set to return to action for the first time since last year's Asian Games, where he took home the gold medal.
Chopra is set to begin his road to the Paris Olympics at the Doha Diamond League on May 10, after which he is scheduled to take part in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland on June 18.
The 26-year-old, the reigning world champion in men’s javelin throw, became the first Indian athlete to win the Diamond League in 2022. Last season, he finished second in the finals, behind Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch.
With less than a month before the action commences, Chopra took to social media to share a video of him in action.
Neeraj Chopra is set to face many of the world's best in Doha next month. Besides Vadlejch, the other confirmed participants include former world champion Anderson Peters, European champion Julian Weber, World Championships finalist Oliver Helander, and Asian Championships gold medallist Roderick Genki Dean.
The Haryana native will also face off against compatriot Kishore Kumar Jena, who finished just behind the reigning Olympic champion at the 2023 Asian Games. In a recent media interaction, Chopra was all praise for Kishore, stating that the 28-year-old could potentially breach the 90m mark before him.
Neeraj Chopra: "This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title"
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj Chopra created history by clinching the gold medal. He became the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in javelin and also the first Indian in over 120 years to win an Olympic medal in the track and field discipline.
With the Paris Olympics a little more than 100 days away, all eyes are on Chopra to see how he will perform in the lead-up to the quadrennial event. The 26-year-old told the Diamond League website that defending his Olympic gold was a personal goal of his for this year.
"This year, my personal goal is to defend my Olympic title, but it would also mean a lot to me to break the 90m barrier. The Doha Meeting, with good conditions and a great atmosphere, is a perfect opportunity to get my season off to the best start," he said.
Chopra, who is a Junior Commissioned Officer Subedar in the Indian Army, recently disclosed that winning the gold medal in Tokyo had changed him for the good, both as a player and a person.
