The organizers of the Ostrava meet had initially stated that the 26-year-old had to withdraw due to a muscular injury.
Indian Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra has provided clarification for his decision to skip the Ostrava Golden Spike 2024 athletics meet in Czechia, which is set to begin on May 28. The organizers of the Ostrava meet had initially stated that the 26-year-old had to withdraw due to a muscular injury. However, Chopra has clarified that his withdrawal is a precautionary measure, with the Paris Olympics 2024 in mind.
In his statement on Sunday, May 26, Chopra explained that he experienced discomfort in his adductor during training and chose not to exacerbate the issue with the Olympic Games just a few months away. This decision was made to prioritize his long-term health and performance at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
"Hello everyone! Following a recent throwing session, I decided not to compete in Ostrava as I felt something in my adductor. I have had problems with it in the past and pushing it at this stage can lead to injury. Just to clarify, I am not injured but I don't want to take any risk during the Olympic year so had to take this decision. Once I feel it's fully recovered, I will get back to competitions. Thank you for your support," Chopra wrote on his X account.
The Indian athlete has been replaced by Julian Weber in the upcoming competition. Weber will be competing alongside the local favorite Jakub Vadlejch, who is the defending champion at both the Diamond League and Golden Spike Meet, as well as Grenada's Anderson Peters.
Chopra recently finished just 0.02 meters behind Vadlejch in the Diamond League Doha meet, securing second place. Vadlejch will be aiming to maintain his dominance in the absence of his toughest competitor, Chopra, who missed the Ostrava meet last year due to a muscle injury.
Before the Olympics, Chopra will be participating in the Paavo Nurumi Games in Finland on June 18, following his gold medal win at the Federation Cup in India earlier this month.
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 "'Don't want to take...': Neeraj Chopra issues clarification for skipping Ostrava Golden Spike meet")
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