Neeraj Chopra reveals five ingredients that made him an Olympic champion

Neeraj Chopra feels that an athlete should always have self-belief till the very last moment that they can win it

Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo 2020 Javelin Throw gold medal winner for India, is the biggest medal hope heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics. He is expected to defend his yellow metal and, in an interaction with former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik on JioCinema’s ‘Get Set Gold’, the thrower said that he is ready to handle that pressure.

How did Chopra's Tokyo gold change things?

Speaking about the changes that his Tokyo Olympic Javelin Throw gold brought into the Indian sporting ecosystem, Chopra said, "It changed the mentality of Indian athletes."

"Earlier, we thought winning medals or winning the Olympic gold was tough. But now that it has happened, I have realised that it's just a mental barrier," he added.

To highlight his point, Chopra gave an example saying, "Even after Tokyo, I was in the World Championships last year and won the gold again. Now it is confirmed that it's just a mental barrier and nothing else."

Five ingredients that make an Olympic champion

Karthik was curious to know what makes an Olympic champion and was left shell-shocked by the fact that Neeraj had prepared a list of the top five ingredients that every athlete must have to win the all-important medal.

"First, I think you should be 100 per cent focused on your training and have respect for your sport. Second, your food and recovery. Third, how well you are training. It should be hard plus smart work. And then, our family, the people around us, who love us and think about us, always help us move forward," listed the two-time Asian Games gold medalist.

Speaking about the most important thing, the 2023 World Champion said, "The last thing which I believe is most important, is self-belief. Sometimes, I have felt that my throw has not been up to the mark, until the last throw. But I still believe in myself that I have to do it till the end. And in many competitions, my last throw has been the best one."

How is Neeraj Chopra dealing with pressure?

Talking about coping with pressure, Chopra said, "There is pressure. The whole country's hopes are there. Gradually, I have learned to handle the pressure and channel the pressure into motivation. So, we are ready for that, and we will work hard to defend the title."

Chopra, alongside shuttler PV Sindhu, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, pugilist Lovlina Borgohain, and the Indian men's hockey team, will be defending and hoping to upgrade their medals while many others will be hoping to win new ones for the country when the biggest sporting extravaganza begins on Friday, July 26.