Two centimetres. That’s less than an inch, 1/3rd of an average index finger. That was the margin of victory for Jakub Vadlejch on Friday night, the Czech javelin thrower pushing Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra to second spot.
It is also symbolic of not just how fierce the competition is at the top level but also a sign of a budding rivalry on the field.
Friday, however, was about a lot more than the result itself. As a season opener in an Olympic year, it was a testing ground for all the work done in off season and a chance to identify the gaps, figure out the positives and work out plans for the next two months that will ideally culminate in a gold at Paris. On all counts, Team Neeraj will clearly be working overtime here on.
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In the previous edition here, Chopra had pipped Vadlejch by 4 cm for the top spot. He had done the same at the 2022 World Championships, this time taking silver. And while the likes of Anderson Peters have massive throws against their names, it’s these two who have been at the forefront of world javelin for the past few years, their consistency separating them from the rest.
On Friday too, Vadlejch had four throws over 84m with two fouls. Neeraj had the same, except with one foul and one 82m mark. It’s this consistency that Neeraj has been keen to maintain even though he admitted he didn’t feel great out on the field, for reasons unknown.
“Overall I thought it could have been better but the best thing is the consistency. My warm-up throw was really good but the first throw went bad. More importantly, the body didn’t feel very good, I don’t know why, but I still managed an 88m-plus (88.36m) throw,” he reflected after the event.
For someone famous for his ‘one and done’ performances, playing catch up against a rival who wouldn’t concede any space was not familiar territory for Neeraj. Interestingly, the trademark roar too was conspicuously absent, even during his best effort. The closest he came to it was in the 3rd attempt, an 86.24m, with the slightest of reaction and none of the arms-up celebration.
The 27-year old, however, isn’t too perturbed going forward. “We will prepare better for future competitions. But if I could throw 88m without feeling too good, I want to test myself and see how much I can manage when everything is right. There will be at least 3-4 more competitions before Paris but such contests help us push each other,” he insisted.
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The man in charge of Team Neeraj, Klaus Bartonietz, was more circumspect and measured in his assessment. The German understands his ward like perhaps few do and while he is not worried about competition, he already knew what to work on in the coming months.
“This is what we expected, maybe a little more stability and managing 86-87m 3-4 times instead of one 88m, but this is not a problem. It is a great result, actually. But it is the first competition, he knows the conditions are good with wind and wants to use it, maybe matching 90m also in the back of mind. But this was technically what we actually trained for. In the next competitions, gradually we will increase the technical level and performance,” Bartonietz told Sportstar.
The one thing Neeraj wasn’t happy about was his effort, which by his own admission was less than optimum. “I am satisfied with my performance but perhaps not with my effort. I feel I could have pushed more even in the last throw. But it’s good that this is the first competition of the season, there is still time. Now we know what to do, we will work on it,” he admitted and it was something Bartonietz agreed with.
“The mindset is important, not throwing hardest to go furthest, that will not work for everybody. You need to have a certain level of control to bring your power into the low axis of javelin and get the distance. It worked very well in training, we do expect some problems in competitions but then, that’s what we train for,” he shrugged.
As for the rivalry, Bartonietz believes Neeraj and Vadlejch understand each other well enough to push each other to do better. Jakub himself, meanwhile, was more forthcoming. “I think we are rivals but also, I hope, good friends. Today’s 2cm victory is a little revenge for the previous year. But I have only one goal, that is Paris,” he declared, adding that the first throw did set the template.
“Getting a good first throw is very important for the mindset. I was lucky to get a good one. It was very close but another win in Diamond League is perfect for me. The main goal is Paris. I have three more competitions before that, hope to get even better. Next up will be Golden Spike (in Ostrava), next chance to try and beat him,” he laughed.
It’s a challenge Chopra is more than willing to accept. “Challenge accepted, I am always ready for a good battle. Next time, it won’t be just 2 cm but much more, in our favour,” he promised.
That would be but a pitstop en route to the biggest prize of them all – the Olympic gold. The athletes themselves may see each other as contenders but Bartonietz calls it as he sees it – the champion and the ‘pretenders’ – and is confident that his ward is on the right track to retain the crown.
“But you can already see who will be the pretenders – Peters also is there, and we have to see Keshorn Walcott also. Plus the Germans, who are not here but we will see them in the next competitions,” he signed off.
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