Updated On: 01 January, 2024 07:12 AM IST | Mumbai | G Rajaraman
Olympic and world javelin champion Neeraj Chopra will bid to remain injury-free and overcome any doubts about a groin muscle that wove unwanted cobwebs in his mind to the point that his hand sub-consciously reached out to the muscle before and after each throw

India’s Neeraj Chopra competes in the javelin throw qualification during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on August 25, 2023. Pic/Getty Images
Neeraj Chopra premiered his competitive season in 2023 only in May at the Doha Diamond League, but he can be expected to make an earlier start in the Olympic year. He has left everyone guessing about when he may enter a meet. His choice of Potchefstroom in South Africa as his pre-season training base is an indication that he may be seen in action sooner than in 2023.
In the new year, his ability to find the perfect balance of flexibility, speed, agility and power will be put to its biggest test in 2024 when he seeks a second successive Olympic Games javelin throw gold in Paris on August 6 and 7. Obviously, the Olympics will be his biggest competition in 2024 while the Diamond League Finals in Brussels a month later will also be very high on his calendar.