Neeraj Chopra discloses the top 5 qualities for an athlete to become an Olympic champion

India's ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra revealed the key qualities for an athlete to secure a medal in the Olympics in a recent interaction with Dinesh Karthik on JioCinema’s ‘Get Set Gold.'

Chopra created history in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by becoming the first track and field athlete to win a gold medal for the country. He achieved this feat with his best throw of 87.58m.

Apart from the gold medal in the Olympics, Chopra secured a yellow medal in the Commonwealth Games (2018) and the Asian Games (2018, 2022).

According to Neeraj Chopra, athletes should have respect for their sport, focus on their training, diet, and have a self-belief to win the medal. Here's what the 26-year-old said:

"First, I think you should be 100 percent focused on your training and have respect for your sport. Second, your food and recovery. Third, how well you are training. It should be hard plus smart work. And then, our family, the people around us, who love us and think about us, always help us move forward."

He added:

"The last thing which I believe is most important, is self-belief. Sometimes, I have felt that my throw has not been up to the mark, until the last throw. But I still believe in myself that I have to do it till the end. And in many competitions, my last throw has been the best one."

Below is the interaction between Dinesh Karthik and Neeraj Chopra:

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Neeraj Chopra opens up on pressure to defend the Olympic title

After clinching a gold with a throw of 82.27m in the Federation Cup 2024 athletics meet in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, all eyes will be on Neeraj Chopra's performance in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

In the aforementioned chat, the esteemed javelin thrower shed light on how he has learned to cope with pressure:

"There is pressure. The whole country's hopes are there. Gradually, I have learned to handle the pressure and channel the pressure into motivation. So, we are ready for that, and we will work hard to defend the title."

Apart from Chopra, shuttler PV Sindhu, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, pugilist Lovlina Borgohain, and the Indian men's hockey team will also look to defend their titles in the Paris Games.