Paris Olympics Dispatch: Season's best throw not enough as record-breaking Arshad Nadeem unseats Neeraj Chopra from throne

There are not many times when a team or the athlete feels somewhat disappointed with a silver medal from an Olympic Games. But that’s how high Neeraj Chopra has performed with a string of gold medals at the highest levels. So, we have come to expect gold, and only gold, from Neeraj Chopra, that champion, who is blessed with Bollywood looks and amazing poise.

Yet, a defending champion, adding a silver to his collection is no mean achievement. Chopra can be proud of himself and India can be proud of Chopra.

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Coming in as the defending champion in javelin, and repeatedly being reminded that he is only the second Indian ever to have won an Olympic gold in an individual event, is pressure, even if it is not called by that term.

it would be inhuman to say that he may not have felt any pressure. Also, India’s tally thus far of four bronze, the fourth of which had come earlier in the day from men’s hockey.

The practice throws and the gait suggested all was well and another golden moment was set to unfold.

When he seemed to slip ever so slightly for the opening foul, we didn’t even realise it was ‘tentativeness’ of some sort. Then came the first sign of pressure piled as arch-rival and friend, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem unleashed a new Olympic record with a throw of 92.97m — an effort that propelled him to the sixth position in the all-time list of best throws in the sport.

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But before that, Chopra’s second attempt of 89.45m — his Season Best — which pushed him to second place after the second round of throws seemed to have heated up the competition. The walk was more confident now. His wave seemed to suggest ‘all was well’. His smile had a calming effect on his fans, identifiable with small Indian flags, and strewn all around the gigantic Stade de France.

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After the qualification, which he had achieved with one single throw, Chopra had said, “I feel really good, but every athlete looks to be in good shape. It will be a great final. When others do well, it’s a good motivation that tells me you also have to throw far. I always throw far in qualification.”

He had shrugged off the pressure of being defending champion, saying, “I always try to keep myself calm. During competition, I always focus on my technique and my performance.”

Now on Thursday night, another India-Pak clash was underway. This was neither in cricket nor hockey, but in javelin throw competitions, an event Europeans, notably Scandinavians have excelled in.

But, these two 27-year-olds from either side of the India-Pak border have been great friends and egg on each other.

Throwers, be it javelin or discus or shot put or the Hammer, are said to loosen up with the first, get their best between the second and fourth, while making sure to make the top eight by the end of the first three tries. The last two attempts are used to catch up, if needed.

In Tokyo, too, Chopra had qualified with his first throw in the qualifiers ahead of the final. Then, in the final, his first two efforts were the best of the day in the entire field. His opening throw was 87.03m and his second of 87.58m was good for gold. The second placed Jakub Vadlech touched 86.67m in his fifth attempt, which clearly appeared a last-ditch effort since he fouled the sixth.

Here in Paris, Nadeem kept piling on the pressure after his monstrous second throw. He would cross 90m again on his last throw — 91.79m. He had five legal throws to Chopra’s one.

The last two throws from Chopra may even have shown some desperation. At least once he, on his own accord, stepped over the line, knowing it was not his best. On another occasions, he again seemed to slip.

A little concern crept in after foul throws on third and fourth attempts and then there was another slip on the fifth and final throw was another foul. So, his only legal throw of 89.45m was his Season’s Best and fetched him a silver.

On his only legal throw of the day, he commented, “It was a good throw. I’m not that happy with my performance today and also my technique and runway was not that good. Only one throw, the rest I fouled.”

Yet, deep inside he probably knew he was not the same Chopra that we saw in Tokyo. He said, “But last two, three years were not so good. I was always injured. I really tried hard, but I have to do some more work on my injury and technique.”

He confessed that there was some tentativeness, though he did not use that word. He said, “In training, I’m not doing a lot of throws because of my groin (injury). But I will work hard in future. Today’s competition was really great. (On the) Second throw I believed in myself to think I can also throw that far. But in javelin, if your run is not so good, you can’t go very far.”

He added, “Arshad Nadeem threw really well. Congratulations to him and his country.”

Chopra’s grace is as disarming as his smile and at 26, there is a lot more to come from him. He becomes only the fourth athlete to win two medals in Olympics — though Manu Bhaker has won two in a single Games.

Yet, Chopra is the only one with gold-silver duo. And he has enough talent to add a few more gold.

As he walked into the tunnel, the walk was a little slower. The shoulders a little heavier. But then the burden of carrying the expectations of 1.4 billion is never easy. It takes a courageous man to take on that responsibility. And Neeraj Chopra is not shying away from that.