Neeraj Chopra pens emotional note for coach Klaus Bartonietz: 'You were there through the highs, even more through the lows'

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday penned an emotional post for his coach Klaus Bartonietz , who is retiring to spend time with his family in Germany. In 2019, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) hired Klaus as a biomechanical expert but became Neeraj’s coach the same year.

He replaced Neeraj’s former coach Uwe John, who had a fallout with the AFI. Klaus played a crucial role in helping Neeraj develop his game, as the Haryana athlete won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and a silver at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

Apart from the Olympic medals, Neeraj also won the 2022 Asian Games gold medal and another gold at the 2023 World Championships under the German’s guidance.

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“I write this without knowing where to begin,” Neeraj said. “Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood by me through injury.

I write this without knowing where to begin.

Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood… pic.twitter.com/kJxaPqmHmm

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) November 6, 2024

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“You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows. You were one of the quietest in the stands, but your words to me rang the loudest in my ears when I threw. I will miss the pranks and the laughs we shared, but more than anything, I will miss US as a team.”

“Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours. Happy retirement, coach,” Neeraj ended his message.

Radhakrishnan Nair, Indian athletics head coach, has revealed that Klaus’ contract ended after the 2024 Paris Olympics in August. He added that a new coach will be announced before the end of the year.

“Yes, Dr Klaus will no longer be Neeraj’s coach. The AFI and Neeraj will together look for a coach for him,” Radhakrishnan told news agency PTI. “Probably, we may have a coach for him before the end of this year. He (Dr Klaus) wants to be with his family. His contract with Neeraj has ended after the Paris Olympics,” he added.