Neeraj Chopra’s golden throw at Tokyo Olympics: Coach Bartonietz reveals the secret

Chopra
began
working
with
Bartonietz
in
2019
after
undergoing
a
successful
surgery
and
the
German
bio-mechanics
expert
said
though
the
youngster
did
not
have
any
major
flaws
but
still
needed
attention.

“Run-up
speed,
(not)
blocking
in
correct
body
position
and
‘rushing’ into
the
throw
as
a
young
powerful
athlete….
these
were
the
shortcomings
I
found
(at
the
beginning).
The
follow
through
should
be
more
forward
than
on
sideways,”
Bartonietz
told
PTI.

“I
made
him
understand
and
he
started
understanding
the
correct
way.
There
was
nothing
dramatic.
The
angle
of
release
should
be
right,
you
need
to
know
aerodynamics
if
you
want
to
throw
farther.
We
have
to
do
step
by
step
to
develop.

“No
doubt,
there
are
improvements
we
have
made.
There
were
shortcomings
but
we
have
worked
them
out.”

Asked
if
there
are
no
technical
shortcomings
now,
Bartonietz
said,
“We
have
to
work
all
the
time
on
technique
and
continue
and
make
it
stable.
You
may
do
well
during
training
but
during
competitions
mental
state
is
different.
If
you
want
to
do
the
same
thing
you
have
done
during
training,
you
have
to
calm
down
(during
competitions)
and
be
confident.”

The
German
said
the
good
thing
about
Chopra
is
that
he
is
an
all-round
athlete
as
he
can
sprint,
jump
and
perform
other
exercises
well.
He
said
when
he
took
Chopra
under
his
wings
in
2019,
he
knew
the
Haryana
lad
has
it
in
him
to
become
a
top
thrower
in
the
world.

“I
was
sure,
everybody
was
sure
because
some
people
do
very
well
in
junior
level
but
worn
out
later
on.
But
he
was
going
in
a
sophisticated
way
(after
becoming
world
junior
champion).
So,
everybody
was
sure
he
has
a
bright
future.”

During
the
build-up
to
the
Olympics,
Chopra
had
said
that
he
was
trying
to
throw
the
javelin
flatter
as
the
high
projectile
of
the
spear
reduces
the
actual
distance
covered.
Asked
about
this,
Bartonietz
said,

“The
javelin
should
go
far
and
not
high.
Most
of
the
athletes
at
the
Olympics
threw
the
javelin
high.
It’s
not
our
business
to
correct
them
but
yes
it’s
the
correct
thing
to
try
and
throw
flatter.”

Chopra
topped
the
qualification
round
ahead
of
German
Johannes
Vetter,
who
came
to
Tokyo
as
gold-medal
favourite
but
finished
ninth,
and
Bartonietz
said
winning
a
gold
was
never
a
realistic
target.

“Depending
on
what
the
others
do
(in
the
final),
there
was
a
real
chance
to
win
a
silver
or
bronze,
but
not
gold.
Nobody
thought
of
gold,”
he
said.

“When
you
are
so
much
fixed
with
gold.
If
you
think
like
I
must
win
gold,
I
will
win
gold,
then
mostly
this
will
not
happen.
If
you
are
enjoying
what
you
are
doing,
and
if
you
are
doing
your
best,
medals
or
gold
medal
will
come.”

Chopra
came
up
with
big
throws
in
his
first
attempt
in
both
the
qualification
round
and
the
final,
and
Bartonietz
said
that
was
always
a
part
of
the
plan.

“It
is
his
intention
and
logic
also.
You
want
to
give
a
shock
to
your
opponents
and
show
them
that
I
am
the
contender.
Everybody
would
like
to
do
this.
You
cannot
save
your
best
throw
consciously
till
the
end.
You
don’t
know
whether
you
will
make
the
first
three.”

Chopra
took
part
in
only
three
international
competitions
before
the
Olympics
and
Bartonietz
said
the
number
of
events
will
be
more
next
year
but
there
will
no
“overdoing”.

Asked
what
is
the
ideal
number
of
competitions
before
Olympics,
he
said,
“Around
six
competitions.
We
had
Portugal,
Karlstad
and
Kuortane,
we
could
have
one
in
Sweden
in
Upsala
but
then
we
did
not
take
part.

“Definitely,
there
was
problem
to
get
visa
to
England
and
there
was
this
fear
of
you
may
have
to
go
to
quarantine
as
you
came
from
India.
He
competed
more
than
last
year.
Next
year
there
will
be
more
competitions
but
not
overdoing.”

Bartonietz
said
Chopra’s
season
is
over
and
the
youngsters
is
not
taking
part
in
any
competition
this
year,
including
in
any
remaining
legs
of
the
Diamond
League.

“No,
he
has
skipped
it
(Diamond
League).
His
season
is
over.
He
needs
training
in
the
next
two-three
weeks.
I
will
come
back
to
India
around
the
end
of
September
or
beginning
of
October.”