Not Olympic medals, World Championship wins, Neeraj Chopra's Actual Greatness Is Because Of His...

Indian star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra needs no introduction as the athlete is one of the top stars in the country. Neeraj Chopra has turned a cricket-watching nation into taking an interest in javelin throw. The star athlete won a gold medal for India in the 2020 Olympics and was one of the nation's biggest hopes of getting a gold medal in the latest edition of the Olympics held in Paris. He might not have won gold but cemented his place as one of India's greatest by winning silver. 

Apart from being a medal-winning athlete and a star in India, what makes Neeraj Chopra great is his thought process and his work ethic.  

Neeraj Chopra Post-Olympics 

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, Neeraj Chopra was the only Indian to win the silver medal. Despite this big achievement, Chopra wasn't happy as he himself expected to win gold. Neeraj Chopra is always on the lookout for how he can perform better and asks himself questions such as ‘How can I do it better?’.

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This self-reflection within oneself is a very important aspect for any athlete which helps them to identify faults and problems and fix those to take their game to the next level. Chopra carries around the mentality of how he can be the best. It was clearly evident in the past month. Despite winning his second straight Olympic medal (which is a huge achievement in India), Neeraj clearly looked a little dejected. 

Not resting on his laurels, Chopra just a few days after the Olympics decided to compete in the Lausanne Diamond League amidst injury concerns. While most Indian athletes from India are taking a break or in jubilation mode, Neeraj is looking to finish his season on a high. It might be a recovery method to get over the Olympics 'loss'.

Neeraj was able to improve upon his throw from the Olympics as he threw his javelin a distance of 89.49 meters. It was better than that Olympics throw and was his season-best. It was also the third straight 89 metre throw he has thrown in the last 2 weeks. 

After event when speaking to PTI, Neeraj expressed disappointment even after improving upon his throw from the Olympics. 

"The feeling wasn't great at first, but I am happy with my throw, especially the second (career) best throw on my last attempt. It was a tough start, but the comeback was really nice and I enjoyed the fighting spirit I showed," "Even though my early throws were around 80-83m, I pushed hard in the last two attempts finishing strong. Competing at this high level, it's important to stay mentally tough and fight through."

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Statements like these give insights into the strong mentality that Neeraj Chopra carries and how he is always looking to be better. 

How Neeraj Chopra Stands Out Amongst Other Indian Athletes

As the Olympics concluded, almost all of the Indian athletes returned back to India to take some time off and enjoy after a tough and grueling competition. As for Chopra, he did not take time off but rather participated in the Lausanne Diamond League where he ended up improving upon his throw from the Olympics and finish second within the span of 15 days.

It is also important to note that Neeraj Chopra did all of this amongst injury concerns. The work ethic, the mentality, the fitness, and the drive to always win put Neeraj Chopra a notch above many athletes India has produced. It is this passion that has resonated with the public who have become emotionally invested in his journey. Neeraj makes people stay awake at 1 am in the night to watch a javelin throw event, something which was unheard of only a few years back. India cannot wait to see Neeraj break the 90m mark. The 90m barrier is not just Neeraj's goal but India's goal. When he does breach that mark, the jubilation in the country would be huge. 

Neeraj is not called India's Golden Boy for nothing, he is only after gold and never settles for less.