Tokyo Olympics 2020: Neeraj Chopra is ready to win a medal, says reigning champion in javelin throw Thomas Rohler-Sports News , Firstpost

File image of Neeraj Chopra. Image Courtesy: Twitter @afiindia

Tokyo: Reigning Olympic champion in javelin throw, Thomas Rohler, has said that Indian track and field star Neeraj Chopra is at a stage where he can win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Chopra, just 23 years of age, will begin his maiden Olympics campaign early in the morning on Wednesday with a qualifying session at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. Despite Chopra’s young age, Rohler said he expected the Indian to be ready for the big stage.

“Neeraj’s at an age and has the experience to be ready to win an Olympic medal. That’s what I expect. I cross my fingers for him. He’s a good athlete. He’s a good man throwing a javelin. I’d love to see him battling for a medal,” Rohler told Firstpost.

A back injury forced Rohler to pull out of this year’s competition, but he will follow the action keenly.

He went on to add that there’s always someone unexpected who wins a medal at big-ticket events like the Olympics.

File image of Neeraj Chopra. AP Photo

“We know that the Olympic Games are special and there’s always surprises to come. There will be surprises from people no one expects anything from and also from those people who are expected to win. We have seen that in the World Championships in 2019. There will be someone who will medal that we don’t expect. I like seeing that Keshorn Walcott is also back. We’ve seen him throwing well in Finland, and he’s someone who is a good competitor.”

The German javelin star also heaped praise on Chopra, saying that his emergence had raised the profile of the sport in countries like India and across a continent like Asia.

“Guys like Neeraj coming into the sport is good for the sport as it is making javelin more and more global. Javelin throwing is not just a European thing anymore. I’m sure if Neeraj can grab a medal he will for sure light up the sport in India and Asia and all round the world,” he said.

But on being asked who will be the favourite to take the gold medal in his absence, he said: “Of course, we have to talk about Vetter. He is doing a great job, he had a huge season, he’s strong. He is capable of producing those long-distance throws, so he will be medal candidate for sure.”

Thomas Rohler, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the javelin throw, will miss Tokyo 2020 due to a back injury. Rohler has struggled to stay fit this season, resulting in him barely competing at tournaments this year. AP Photo

With a best throw of 96.29m, Vetter is head and shoulders above the rest of the field in terms of sheer distance thrown in 2021. Poland’s Marcin Krukowski (89.55m) is the second furthest thrower in 2021 with Walcott (89.12m) and Chopra (88.07m) coming after that. Notably, Vetter has registered seven throws this year that are better than Krukowski’s season best, highlighting how far ahead he is this year.

Even in terms of the furthest throws recorded in history, Vetter’s name figures eight times in the top 15 throws ever recorded, with javelin legend Jan Zelezny’s name featuring five times. Rohler’s name features once in the top 15 throws, while Chopra’s personal best of 88.07m is the 360th best throw ever recorded.

“I’m just hoping for a good competition,” said Rohler. “Sports is only fun if there’s competition. If we know the results from before, sport is no fun. I hope there’s a battle, at least for No 2 and 3 and 4.”