Neeraj Chopra

“Javelin is a very technical sport. I rectified my faults over time. Then I trained under foreign coaches who further rectified my errors.”

“I am very fond of sports apparel so I used to visit the mall often and get some good shirts or shoes and even have a nice meal with my physiotherapist.”

“I love blasting good music on the Bluetooth speakers through my phone.”

“We athletes have a life that revolves around training.”

“It motivates me that people rate me so highly and want me to do well, which is a good feeling. Personally, I don't think about milestones or medals, but like to take each competition as it comes and focus on doing my best and becoming better with each competition.”

“A medal in Tokyo Olympics is my target, it's the ultimate for an athlete. I am still young and my best is yet to come.”

“I try to keep things as simple as possible: my job as a javelin thrower is to stay in good shape and do my best at each competition.”

“We are farmers, nobody in the family has a government job and my family has been supporting me with difficulty. But it is a sort of relief now that I am able to support my family financially besides continuing with my training.”

“My life became occupied with only a couple of things: go to the stadium and practice, come back home, eat, then go back to training.”

“My aim is to do better than I did in Tokyo. I am glad I won the Olympic gold. I may have got the national record, but I am trying to breach the 90-metre barrier.”

“I did have a very good 2018 season, but missed out on the entire 2019 season because of the surgery I had to undergo on my elbow and the rehabilitation after that.”

“Medals are decided on the day, not before that.”

“My technique is such that even if I turn my back on the throw, I understand what I have thrown and I start celebrating.”

“Sports teaches us to be together and united.”

“Once I throw, I immediately know how well I have done, or how badly, from the effort I have put in and the way the rhythm and technique comes together.”

“The biggest learning is that an athlete needs to know when to stop. To know that if I push beyond this, there could be a problem.”

“Javelin throw is a very technical event and a lot depends on the day's form.”

“Punjabi songs and Babu Mann tops my playlist. I also listen to a lot of English music although I don't understand a single word. If the music is good, I am fine.”

“The Olympics is by far the biggest stage of them all for any sportsperson, so I'm looking forward to it.”