I beat better throwers than me for Olympic gold, cut-throat competition now at World Championships: Neeraj Chopra

"In athletics, it's very simple. If you are throwing, it should be the farthest; if you are jumping, it should be the highest; and if you are running, it should be the fastest" is how Neeraj put it during this interaction. There can't be a simpler way than that to put things into perspective. Neeraj, in fact, is a master of that -- keeping things simple. In a couple of days' time, Neeraj will be at the second biggest stage after his Olympic triumph -- the ongoing World Championships in Oregon, USA, where he will run in to throw the spear to a distance that could potentially fetch India only its second World Championships medal. Former long-jumper Anju Bobby George's 2003 bronze is still the only World Championships medal won by an Indian. Neeraj's current form and decorated run-up to the competition promises to add to that tally.

(Neeraj Chopra and Anju Bobby George - TOI Photo)At the Stockholm Diamond League, he set up a perfect launchpad for the World Championships -- with a new national-record throw of 89.94m, just six centimeters shy of a mark he has often been quizzed about -- the holy grail of international javelin throw, 90m. Neeraj finished second, while Grenada's Anderson Peters ended up as the leader of the field in Stockholm with a throw of 90.31m. The repeated queries around hitting 90m has perhaps forced Neeraj to stop thinking about distance. But he insists that's how his mind works -- just go all out and let the distance take care of itself. "I have always said, I am not focusing on the distance. I just give my 100% in every competition," said Neeraj, during a media interaction organised by international sports apparel and accessories brand 'Under Armour', which TimesofIndia.com was part of. "The mindset