'I couldn't meet my own expectations…' - Neeraj Chopra looks back on difficult 2024 season, battling injuries, lessons learnt

Neeraj Chopra finished second in men’s javelin throw at Diamond League Finals 2024.

Neeraj Chopra has officially signed off from the 2024 season. The Double Olympic medallist took to social media to reflect on his experiences over the past nine months. Chopra revealed that he had been competing with an injury at Diamond League Finals 2024 in Brussels. He finished second in the men’s javelin throw with a best attempt of 87.86m in his third attempt.

The 26-year-old shared that he had fractured the fourth metacarpal in his left hand. He thanked his team who helped him compete at Brussels. He stated, ‘I want to thank all of you for your encouragement. 2024 has made me a better athlete and person. See you in 2025.’ Chopra added his x-ray report of his left hand which indicated an injury.

As the 2024 season ends, I look back on everything I’ve learned through the year – about improvement, setbacks, mentality and more. On Monday, I injured myself in practice and x-rays showed that I had fractured the fourth metacarpal in my left hand. It was another painful… pic.twitter.com/H8nRkUkaNM

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) September 15, 2024

In spite of an injury in Brussels, the Tokyo Olympic champion missed clinching the title by just a centimetre as Grenada’s Anderson Peters threw 87.87m in his opening attempt. Chopra would now aim to start his 2025 season with a winning campaign.

He mentioned that he gained insights on his improvement, setbacks and mentality in the 2024 season. Chopra thanked the fans for the encouragement and assured he would make a fitting comeback in the 2025 season.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra finishes second in men’s javelin throw at Diamond League Finals 2024

Can Neeraj Chopra break the 90m barrier in the 2025 season?

The 2024 season saw Chopra touching the 89m mark thrice a feat which he could not achieve even once in the 2023 season. In the 2022 season, Chopra recorded a hat-trick of 89m throws including the current standing Indian national record of 89.94m. In the 2024 season, Chopra has been affected by injuries.

However, he has not let injuries hamper his performance in the field and has consistently assured his podium finishes. Chopra competed in six events between May and September this year. In those, he recorded four second place finishes and two first-place finish in the past four months.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s top five career best throws in men’s javelin

Chopra began the season with a second-place finish in Doha Diamond League in May. His best attempt was a throw of 88.36m. But his best performances came at Paris Olympics 2024, where clinched silver with a throw of 89.49m. Chopra improved his mark further to 89.49m during the Lausanne Diamond League.

Fans can expect the legendary athlete to breach the 90m mark in the 2025 season. His fitness limited his throws this season.

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