Paris Olympics: India's Neeraj says final demands a different mindset

"89.34 or 89.32?" defending champion Neeraj Chopra humbly asked, seeking confirmation of his throw during a media interaction in the mixed zone after the Paris Olympics javelin throw qualification concluded at Stade de France on Tuesday.

When asked what was going through his mind at the time of his first throw, which turned out to be the best one in the qualification round, he was quick to clarify, "Before the throw or after?"

"Before the throw, I was thinking that if I can achieve the target in the first throw, it would be ideal," Neeraj said. "I could then return, do some stretching, and start preparing for the final. After the throw, I was very happy that it went so well. Now, we are ready for the final."

Neeraj competed in Group B of the qualification round alongside Arshad Nadeem. 

Arshad followed Neeraj with an impressive first attempt of 86.59m, his season's best. Grenada's Anderson Peters also showcased his prowess with an 88.63m throw, automatically qualifying with his first attempt. Germany's Julian Weber recorded the fourth-best throw of the qualification round at 87.76m.

The top 12 performers progressed to the final, with any athlete throwing 84.00m or more qualifying automatically.

Read also: Neeraj Chopra: Farmer’s son who made Olympic history

"The final is still to come. The more I rest, the better," Neeraj said as he entered the mixed zone. "A completely different mindset will be there in the final. This was just the qualification; the goal was to qualify. The real deal is the final."

"The best throw is saved for the final. It will be a healthy, tough competition."

When asked who he thought would be his top competition, Neeraj praised all the athletes who qualified automatically. "Everyone who qualified automatically is here with good preparation."

He added that his goal is usually to have a great first throw, but sometimes it does not go according to plan. "I usually try to have the first throw go well, but if that doesn't work, then the next ones should be better," explained the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist.

Neeraj also trained in Germany for two weeks in preparation for the competition.