PIX: Chopra 'happy to win World javelin silver; will take it'

'Conditions were challenging, there was wind coming from front. It was a tough competition with very tough competitors.'

 'I will try to change the colour of the medal (to gold) in the next World Championships in 2023. 

"I will take it," declared Neeraj Chopra, after what he termed a challenging history-scripting silver in the javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships, on Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.

The reigning Olympic champion, who felt "something" on his strapped thigh admitted that his comeback from outside the medal position midway into the final was "challenging", but he knew that a good throw was around the corner.

He was lying in fourth position after three rounds of throws, having opened with a foul before registering 82.39m and 86.37m in his next two attempts. He got his rhythm back with a big fourth round throw of 88.13m, his fourth career-best effort, to jump to second place, which he held on to till the end.

"Conditions were challenging, there was wind coming from front. It was a tough competition with very tough competitors. It was challenging for me, but I was confident that a good throw will surely come.

"I was making the effort (in the first three throws) but it (a big throw) was not coming. It was challenging, but good that I made a comeback," the 24-year-old Tokyo Olympics gold medallist said during a virtual press conference.

"I am happy to have won a silver, the country's first medal in the World Athletics Championships after 19 years, I will take it."

Chopra felt some tightness on his thigh after the fourth throw and could not do well in the last two which were fouls.

"I thought even the fourth throw could have gone farther. After that I felt something on my thigh and could not do my best in next two.

"I had strapping (on the thigh). I will know the status tomorrow morning because my body is still warm after the event. I hope there should not be any issue for the upcoming events, Commonwealth Games."

Defending champion Anderson Peters of Grenada won the gold with a massive throw of 90.54m. He was in a class of his own in the final as he had three massive 90m-plus throws -- in the first two rounds and the last attempt.

Olympic silver winner Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic took the bronze with 88.09m.

Indian fans are used to watching Chopra having big throws in the first two rounds but it was a different scenario in the World Championships final. Chopra won gold in the Tokyo Olympics last year with a second round throw of 87.58m and just needed a first round effort of 88.39m to qualify for the finals in second place in Oregon.

The trademark big smile was back after the fourth round throw as Chopra, the son of a farmer from Khandra village near Panipat in Haryana, did the 'calm-down' gesture and showed the victory sign with his right hand.

Chopra won Indian athletics' maiden gold in the Tokyo Olympics last year. He is only the second Indian to have won an individual gold in the Olympics, after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who clinched the yellow metal in 2008 Beijing Games.

Asked if he was feeling the pressure of being an Olympic champion heading into the World Championships finals, he said, "I never felt that kind of pressure. My focus was always to give my best, improve upon my best.

"Of course, I was in a challenging position (after the third round) but I was confident that I will have a good throw somehow. I kept trying and it came.

"An athlete cannot win a gold every time but we have to keep trying and give our best. I have learnt a lot from the challenging situation today and I will work for improvement. I will try to change the colour of medal (to gold) in the next World Championships in 2023 (in Budapest)."

Chopra said he is having healthy competition with Peters, who he is going to face again in the Commonwealth Games, beginning in Birmingham on Thursday.

"Peters is doing well; he has thrown more than 90m quite a few times this year. It is good for the sport. I am happy with the rivalry. I have beaten him also. It is a healthy competition and a challenge for me. I have to improve myself.

"Every day is new and different. The way we may want to perform, it may not happen exactly that way. It depends on the day. I don't need to make any changes. I have my technique and I need to improve upon what I am doing."

Asked who he would dedicate the silver medal to, Chopra replied, "Anju Bobby George madam won India's first medal. Everybody who has played a part in my success and those who are praying for my success, I would like to dedicate to them."

He said he spoke to Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem, who finished fifth, with a best throw of 86.16m.

"I spoke to him after the end of the event and told him that he had performed well. He said he had problems on his elbow. He was not doing well at the start, so I told him he made a good comeback."

AFI President Adille Sumariwalla lauded Chopra for his remarkable comeback after being out of medal contention.

"The wind was not kind to the throwers. But the champion that he is, he made a comeback from outside medal position. His performance is better than that of Olympics," Sumariwalla said.

"We have six finalists for the first time. Out of the five, if three had done their personal best, they would have got a medal.

"So, Indian athletics is making progress, may be slow progress but making progress."