Neeraj Chopra
As if an epoch-making gold was not enough, Indian javelin throw star Neeraj Chopra on Saturday said he was also chasing the Olympic record after his first two throws went well.
Chopra also revealed that he went completely blank before his last throw as realisation dawned that he had managed to secure an unparalleled top finish at the Games here.
Since he was the best after all the 12 competitors had completed their first three attempts, Chopra was the final thrower during the next three attempts. By the time silver-winner Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic completed his last throw, Chopra knew he had won the gold.
"I was the last thrower and everybody was done, I came to know I have won gold, something changed in my mind, I can't explain it. I did not know what to do and it was like what I had done," Chopra said in a virtual press conference.
"I was on the run-up with the javelin but I went completely blank. I regained composure and tried to focus on my last throw which was not great but still alright (84.24m)," he added.
Chopra also said that he was aiming for the Olympic record of 90.57m (in the name of Norway's Andreas Thorkildsen in 2008 Beijing Games) but failed to reach it.
"After the first two throws went well, above 87m, I thought I can go for the Olympic record. But it was not to be," he said.
Chopra on Saturday became only the second Indian to win an individual gold in the Olympics, out-performing the field by some distance to immortalise himself as the first track-and-field Games medal-winner for the country.
The 23-year-old son of a farmer in Haryana produced a second round throw of 87.58m in the finals to stun the athletics world and end India's 100-year wait for a track and field medal in the Olympics.
After 87.03m and 87.58m in the first two throws, Chopra's third attempt was a poor 76.79m before he fouled the next two.
