Neeraj Chopra Wisdom Makes Him Global Icon: Time for Other Indian Athletes to Learn

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India's 26-year-old javelin star Neeraj Chopra's back-to-back podium finishes at the Olympic Games marked another milestone in the history of Indian track and field during the 2024 season.

Chopra, an Olympic and world champion, overcame challenges to stay healthy and raised the Indian tricolor at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, held between July 26 and August 11.

Meanwhile, other elite Indian athletes, it seems, haven't learned a lesson from Chopra's demonstration of performing under extreme conditions in global athletics. Chopra's silver-winning effort of 89.45m in Paris highlighted that survival of the fittest is key to success in a cutthroat global competition like the Olympic Games.

A nagging groin injury, diagnosed early in the season, put Chopra in a cautious mood, and the successful management of off-the-field issues enabled him to clinch the silver medal in the quadrennial games, suggesting that he has matured beyond his years.

However, other top Indian athletes couldn't use the Olympic Games platform to enhance their profiles and eventually wilted under pressure. Non-performing athletes found excuses for below-par performances in Paris.

Chopra was emotional after settling for silver in Paris but vowed to bounce back. Despite a minor injury to his non-throwing hand, the double Olympic medallist went on to give his best at the season-ending prestigious Diamond League meet in Brussels, where he finished second.

Much was expected from steeplechase specialist Avinash Sable. But the 29-year-old 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist and 2023 Asian Games champion faltered in France. Sable's performance in Paris showed that he wasn't mentally prepared to handle the pressure of the Olympic Games, finishing a disappointing 11th in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Asian Games silver medallist Kishore Kumar Jena was expected to carry on the good work of his 2023 season. However, a year after recording a personal best of 87.54m and finishing fifth at the World Championships in Budapest, Jena struggled to even touch the 80m mark in France, later blaming a nagging ankle pain.

Similarly, India's fastest 400m female runner, Kiran Pahal, failed to make an impact in her Olympic debut, while long jumper Jeswin Aldrin and triple jumper Praveen Chithravel failed to meet expectations despite ample exposure. As the 2025 season looms, all eyes will be on Chopra, who has now joined Czech legend Jan Zelezny's camp to prepare for future challenges.