Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra announced the end of his coaching partnership with javelin legend Jan Zelezny after one season. The coach had helped him cross the 90m mark in their first-ever assignment.
Olympic champion
Neeraj Chopra on Saturday announced that he has ended his coaching partnership with legendary javelin thrower Jan Zelezny after just one season. The decision was taken by mutual agreement, with both Neeraj and Zelezny expressing respect and gratitude for each other.
Neeraj said Zelezny introduced him to new exercises, technical ideas and ways of thinking about rhythm and movement, which helped him learn a lot from every single session he had with him. “Working with Jan opened my eyes to so many new ideas. The way he thinks about technique, rhythm, and movement is incredible, and I learned a lot from every single session we had together,” Neeraj said.
“What I’m most proud about is the friendship I’ve built with someone who has been my idol all my life. Jan is not only the best javelin thrower of all time, but also one of the best human beings I have ever met,” Neeraj added.
Zelezny praises Neeraj
Zelezny also spoke highly of Neeraj and the progress they made together. He said working with an athlete like Neeraj was a great experience and added that he was happy to have played a role in helping him cross the 90m mark.
Neeraj breached the 90m-mark in javelin with a throw of 90.23m at the Doha Diamond League in May last year.
Zelezny pointed out that apart from the World Championships, Neeraj finished no lower than second in major competitions, which he described as a strong record. He also mentioned that a back injury just days before the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo affected Neeraj’s chances at the event, where he finished eighth with a best throw of 84.03m.
“Working with an athlete like Neeraj was a great experience. I’m glad we met and were able to work together, that I got him to break the 90-meter barrier for the first time. Apart from the World Championships, he finished at worst second and that is not a bad record. Unfortunately, the back injury 12 days before Tokyo significantly affected his chances,” Zelezny said.
“He has huge potential for the coming years. Our relationship is very positive also on the human side and we will continue to stay in touch, we will definitely meet at some training camp or, for example, on vacation with our families in Europe or India,” he added.
Neeraj has already begun preparing for the upcoming season, starting his training in early November. While his main focus remains staying healthy, he is also looking forward to competing again soon. He said his long-term goals include the World Championships in 2027 and, most importantly, the Olympic Games in 2028.
“I’m looking forward to what 2026 has in store. I started my preparation in early November. As always, the goal is to stay healthy, and I am already excited to be competing again soon. At the same time, I’m especially looking ahead to the year with the World Championships in 2027, and the big goal beyond that is the Olympic Games in 2028,” he said.
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