"Yet To Achieve My Potential": Neeraj Chopra After Winning Asian Games 2023 Gold

His cabinet might be brimming with titles but Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra feels he is yet to reach his full potential and has set sights on not only crossing the 90m mark but making it a new normal as he gears up for next year's Paris Games. The 25-year-old from Haryana, who played most part of the season with a groin strain, won the World Championships title in August in Budapest, finished second in the Diamond League finals in September before coming up with a throw of 88.88m to defend his Asian Games gold in Hangzhou this week.

"I am happy that I pushed myself and ended with a season-best effort. But it also made me wonder if I were fit and 100 per cent in my technique then how long could I have thrown," he said during a virtual interaction.

"So I have to find in myself what I can do, what mindset I can make that I can achieve my potential, because I feel I am still a lot away from that." Claiming the World Championships crown and defending his Asian Games gold with a season-best effort despite injuries has been the most satisfying part, says Chopra.

"I am happy I won the world champion title and defended my Asian Games gold, so season was really good. But somewhere about distance, I felt I could have gone further.

"But I had injuries in between and I had to give up a few competitions but slowly I came back. But I am happy that I could win two titles despite injuries, which is a good thing.

"I had said earlier in the season that I want to finish off the 90m question, so sorry I couldn't do it. Now, I guess I have given you the chance to ask me again about it," he laughs.

Chopra has been carrying this burden of expectations of crossing the 90m mark ever since he returned with a gold at the 2018 Commonwealth