The 76-year-old javelin coach, Klaus Bartoneiz, who guided Neeraj Chopra to win a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics and also a gold medal in the World Championship in 2023, still believes that Neeraj Chopra has the ability to win another Olympic medal.
After spending six years together, Klaus and Neeraj parted ways. At this point, Neeraj started a new phase by training under world record holder Jan Zelezny.
In an exclusive interview with The Sportstar, Klaus revealed, stating, “I didn’t speak much to him after the final. He looked very upset and disappointed, and it’s hard to know what to say in that moment. He’s a good sportsperson. He congratulated Keshorn and said he’d do better. I think he had some health problems and couldn’t train for two weeks. He was very good in the qualification but couldn’t repeat it the next day. Sometimes it’s just luck,”
This year’s World Championships featured many surprises, and the javelin final illustrated that. For example, Walcott became one of the oldest champions, while world leader Julian Weber missed the podium altogether. Meanwhile, America’s relatively unknown Curtis Thompson earned a podium spot, and Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem finished in 10th place.
Klaus added, “Neeraj still has the capacity to win another Olympic medal. Jan Zelezny did it three times, so he knows what it takes mentally. Neeraj’s still young, 27 or 28 years old. He aims high but isn’t overconfident — that’s important. He’s dealt with injury before, and he’s thrown 90 metres. He also has a very good physiotherapist in Ishan Marwaha, who’s worked with him for years. That helps. I think he’ll be in contention again,” says Klaus.
From an Indian perspective, the event brought both disappointment and promise. While defending champion Neeraj finished eighth—his first time outside the top two at a major event since 2018—the emergence of 25-year-old Sachin Yadav, who came within 40 centimeters of a podium finish on his debut, offered optimism for the future.
Klaus has high praise for Sachin. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if Sachin had won a medal. Half a meter more and he would have been on the podium. He was already over 86 meters and at that distance, 40 centimeters is nothing,” he says.
At 6’5” and nearly 110 kilograms, Sachin combines size and strength with technique, says Klaus. “He’s very tall. That’s a great benefit, but he’s also technically very sound. These guys are all strong, but it’s not about how much you can lift or sprint. Sachin’s best points are that he’s both powerful and technically good. He has a very stable front leg and great coordination,” he adds.
