'Happy to have started the season on a high note' - Neeraj Chopra on breaking his national record

Neeraj Chopra has shattered his national record in the javelin throw at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2022. He has expressed his happiness on having begun the season on a high.

It was rejoicing for India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. On Tuesday, he achieved a remarkable feat during the 2022 Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland. He registered a throw of 89.30 metres, finishing second in the tournament, behind Oliver Helander of Finland (89.83 metres). It was his first competitive outing since winning the gold medal during the Tokyo Olympics last year. In the process, he surpassed the national record he had created the previous year, with a throw of 88.07 metres in Patiala. Meanwhile, he was delighted with his performance and was happy to have begun the season on a top note.

"I am pleased with my performance. It was my first event of the season, so I am happy to have started it on a high note. My performance here has boosted my confidence significantly. From now on, I want to work on my technique, throw, and overall performance. I am in a happy place now, and I want to do well in the upcoming events," Chopra said following the feat.

Besides being the first in athletics, Chopra happens to be only the second Indian gold-medalist in the Olympics after Abhinav Bindra. As for the Paavo Nurmi Games competition, his first throw landed 86.92 metres before breaking his national record in the second attempt. While his subsequent three attempts were fouls, the final two throws happened to be 85.85 metres. As a result of this performance, Chopra has reached fifth on the world season leaders' list.