Picture Credit: X
Tokyo Olympics gold medallist and world champion, Neeraj Chopra has finally opened up on his withdrawal from the upcoming Paris Diamond League, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 7. The 26-year-old took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm his decision.
In a post on X, Neeraj stated that the Paris Diamond League was not included in his competition calendar. “Hello, everyone. Just to clarify: the #ParisDL wasn’t part of my competition calendar this season, so I haven’t ‘withdrawn’ from it. I’m focusing on getting ready for the Olympic Games.” He further added, “Thanks for your understanding and support, wishing all the athletes competing all the best! 🙏,” he wrote.
Chopra last featured at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 and clinched his maiden gold medal after earlier finishing with a silver in 2022 in Turku, Finland. He returned to competitive action after a one-month long precautionary break. The 26-year-old threw 85.97m to claim the gold and come out on top, despite the top contenders including the likes of Anderson Peters, Max Dehning and Oliver Helander.
After his performance at the Paavo Nurmi Games, Neeraj said, “I need to strengthen my blocking leg when I throw because that’s when my groin gets pulled. We’re working on that to see how we can reduce the impact on the groin and control the pressure on it.” “I could have competed in more events for sure and that was the plan. But I have realised that my health is paramount, that comes first. Even if I feel the slightest discomfort or like I am pushing myself too much in training, I’ve learnt to pause for a bit,” he added.
