Olympics star Neeraj Chopra hoping to create history at World Athletics C'ships

Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is relying on his redhot form and consistency this season to grab a historic medal at the World Athletics Championships beginning on Friday in Eugene USAThe 24yearold Chopra will be one of the medal favourites in the showpiece after pulling off the thirdbest throw of the season with an effort of 8994m during the Stockholm Diamond League on June 30A medal in the World Championships will be another piece of history for Chopra as he will become only the second Indian track and field athlete and first male player from the country to win a medal in the World ChampionshipsLong jumper Anju Bobby George had become the first Indian to win a bronze in 2003 in ParisThe preparation has been good and my confidence level is high In the three events I took part I had done two personal best and won one I have been consistent in my three performances Chopra said at a virtual media interaction from his training base in Chula Vista in USAI can do better and get past 90m it was just 6cm short of 90m mark at the Stockholm Diamond League So hopefully I can do my best in the World ChampionshipsIn his three outings this season Chopra has improved his personal best twice he recorded a 8930m throw on June 14 at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland before sending his spear to 8994m just 6cm shy of 90m in Stockholm He had won the javelin throw event at Kuortane Games in Finland with a throw of 8669m under wet and slippery conditionsChopras main rival for the gold medal will be Anderson Peters of Grenada the 2019 World Championships gold medallist Peters heads to the World Athletics Championships as the standout contender for gold as he owns four of the top five throws this season His best effort of 9307 is also the best result this seasonThe 2017 world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany who has maximum number of 90mplus throws among active athletes has pulled out with a shoulder injuryA gold is not beyond Chopras reach as he has beaten Peters twice this season at Paavo Nurmi Games and Kuortane GamesIf Chopra wins the yellow metal he will become the first male javelin thrower to follow Olympic success with World Championship gold since Norways Andreas Thorkildsen feat in 200809Before that world record holder Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic had achieved the milestone in 200001 and 199293Asked about his mindset with which he will go into the World Championships Chopra said I will go with the same mindset I had in Tokyo with a relaxed mind I will give my best that is the only thing I am not putting pressure on myselfBut Chopra has learnt one thing from the 2017 World Championships in London where he could not qualify for the final round He said he cannot go into the qualification round thinking that he would get into the finals without much effortAlso Read Watch 94 yearold Bhagwani Devi celebrates upon return after winning gold at World Masters ChampionshipsI am not taking the qualification round lightly I have learnt that from London in 2017 At that time I did not have much international experience I thought I would do 83m the qualification mark in 2017 but failed to do itIf you dont do well in the qualification round and if you cant qualify for the final round there is no point I have to be focussed and give my best during qualification round alsoChopra had competed in the 2017 London World Championships with the hope of at least making it to the finals But he could not do that at his best throw of 8226m fell short of the automatic qualification mark of 83mHe will have his qualification round of the Eugene World Championships on July 21 and the finals two days laterChopra has won most of his top competitions on the basis of first couple of attempts During the Tokyo Olympics last year his second round throw out of six attempts of 8758m fetched him the historic goldI try to get the best out of my first throw and it happens many times that the best throw comes from the first Sometimes that does not happen and so I have to try to get the best in later throwsBut it is not that you give your best in the first throw and then leave it I have to try to give my best till the last attemptChopra would leave Chula Vista for Eugene on ThursdayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever