The 25-year-old javelin thrower spend two months on campus across the University’s world-class facilities, including Powerbase gym, the High Performance Athletics Centre (HiPAC), and the Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel.
During his time in Loughborough, Neeraj was joined by his support team (coach Klaus Bartonietz), and worked closely with the University’s Head Throws Coach, David Turner.
Chopra underpinned his status as one of India’s most successful athletes after throwing 87.58m at the Tokyo Olympic Games. This score saw him become the first Indian Olympian to win a gold medal in athletics.
Speaking to Loughborough Sport, Neeraj reflected on his time at Loughborough: “Because of the world-class environment, every athlete here is doing good and training hard. Because of the good groups here, we also feel very motivated and try our hardest.”
He also shared his thoughts on his gold-medal-winning throw in Japan: “I think it’s a dream for every athlete to win a medal in the Olympics, and gold is the highest dream. Everyone in India was celebrating and when I went home after Tokyo, there were thousands of people in the airport.”
Steve Backley OBE, the former javelin world record holder who also recently visited Loughborough, said: “Neeraj Chopra has been a sensation. He’s taken the javelin world by storm, he’s a very approachable, and a very likable character.
“To have him here in Loughborough as a current role model – sharing of best practice – has had a huge impact. If you get around good people, good things happen.”
