Courtesy: X
After tasting success, 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist, Neeraj Chopra is set to end his partnership with long-time coach Klaus Bartonietz of Germany. The two will part ways, ending their five-year stint of working together, where Neeraj Chopra reached the helm of his career, winning historic gold medal at the Olympic Games in 2020, followed by becoming the world champion after Diamond League victory.
Neeraj does not want to end the association: AFI official
The 75-year-old Klaus Bartonietz has cited age and family commitments as the reason behind moving from this successful partnership. Speaking to PTI, an official of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) stated, “He (Bartonietz) is 75 and he now wants to be with his family and does not want too much travel also.” “It is not that Neeraj wants to end the association, it is Bartonietz who has expressed his inability to continue as his (Neeraj’s) coach,” the official further added.
Speaking of Bartonietz, the 75-year-old has been working closely since 2019. While he joined as Neeraj Chopra’s biomechanics expert, but stepped up to fill up the shoes of a coach after Uwe Hohn stepped down. Under Klaus Bartonietz’s leadership, Chopra won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, followed by becoming the world champion and Diamond League winner. He also won the Asian Games gold medal in 2023, followed by his most recent win at the Paris Olympics and the silver medal finish at the Diamond League 2024.
Biggest target for next year is the World Championship: Neeraj Chopra
During the press conference at the Sports University of Haryana last month, Chopra discussed his upcoming plans and talked about his fitness. The young athlete said, "The season is over now. The biggest target for next year is the World Championship, and we will begin preparations for that now. The Olympics are always on our minds, but we have four years for that.”
