Athletics
Javelin legend Jan Železný set to coach Neeraj Chopra for next season
Neeraj Chopra has joined the training group under current world record holder Jan Železný to prepare for the 2025 season.
Two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra announced a new partnership with Javelin legend Jan Železný and will train under him for the upcoming 2025 season.
The Indian athlete announced the partnership on Saturday with the legendary Železný, a three-time Olympic and World champion, and the current world record holder.
The former athlete from the Czech Republic is an idol of Neeraj Chopra and he has expressed his admiration for Železný in the past.
“Growing up, I admired Jan’s technique and precision and spent a lot of time watching videos of him. He was the best in the sport for so many years, and I believe that working with him will be invaluable because our throwing styles are similar, and his knowledge is unmatched. It’s an honour to have Jan by my side as I push towards the next level in my career, and I can’t wait to get started,” said Chopra, following the announcement.
Under Železný’s guidance, Neeraj is eager to deepen his technical mastery and build on the successes that have defined his career.
"I have already spoken about Neeraj as a great talent many years ago. When I saw him early in his career, I realised great possibilities for top results. I also said that if I should start to coach somebody from outside Czechia, my first choice would be Neeraj. I like his story and I see big potential, as he is young and able to improve. There have been many athletes contacting me for coaching, so for me to take this up means that it is a great honour to have him on my team. We are getting to know each other more closely and will start in person at a traditional winter camp in South Africa. I believe in his progress, especially in the technical aspect, so that he can continue achieving top positions at the main championships,” said Železný.
Železný, a Gold medalist at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games, has five of the top ten best throws of all time and broke the world record on four occasions en route to claiming the current undisputed mark of 98.48m, in Germany, in 1996.
Jan was the coach of both other medalists Jakub Vadlejch (silver) and Vítězslav Veselý (bronze) when Chopra won Gold at Tokyo 2020, and has also coached two-time Olympic Champion and three-time World Champion Barbora Špotáková.
