Neeraj Chopra believes his comeback from injury is heading in the right direction but admitted he is still some way from returning to his best after winning the silver medal in the javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026.
Now a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Neeraj finished second in Glasgow on Friday with a season’s best throw of 85.83m, behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who struck gold with an 89.75m effort.
Despite reaching the podium, Neeraj Chopra said he is still trying to rediscover the rhythm that made him one of the world’s best javelin throwers.
“I can’t say my fitness is back to what it used to be,” Neeraj said after the competition. “I’m getting there gradually. Doha (Diamond League in June) was my first competition back, and nobody could say I was fully prepared then. I was a little better here, but I’m still trying to regain my rhythm through the upcoming competitions.”
The Indian, who had returned to competition only this season after a lengthy injury lay-off, said fitness plays as much of a role as technique when competing at the highest level.
“It’s not really pressure to win gold,” he said. “The biggest difference is when you’re 100 per cent fit. You have much more fighting spirit. You feel like you can do anything.
“But when you’re coming back from an injury, you have to be a little careful with every step. Today I was cautious. Sometimes I wanted to throw with full power, and at other times I wanted to stay under control because of the conditions. Despite that, the throw was good.”
Neeraj also credited the challenging weather for making life difficult for the entire field.
“I also had only one decent throw today,” he said, referring to his 85.83m effort. “I felt the other throws could have been better, but the javelin just didn’t fly.
“I felt I could have thrown farther too, but the javelin wasn’t holding its line. I don’t perform my best in the cold. I prefer warmer weather… Because I have Indian blood,” he smiled.
The 28-year-old pointed out that eventual champion Rumesh Tharanga needed only one valid throw to secure the title.
“Only one good throw is enough,” Neeraj said. “He had one good throw today, and I also had only one decent throw.”
While satisfied with the silver medal, Neeraj Chopra insisted there is still significant room for improvement as he builds towards the remainder of the season.
“Definitely, there’s still room to improve,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve improved a lot this season. I could have done even better.
“The aim now is to keep improving gradually in the next competitions.”
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/neeraj-chopra-commonwealth-games-2026-silver-comeback-not-back-to-best
