Mon Jun 23 23:55:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
**Neeraj Chopra Eyes World Championship Gold, Downplays 90m Pressure**
**Ostrava, Czech Republic – June 24, 2025** – Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra is setting his sights on a top finish at the World Championships in Tokyo this September. Speaking ahead of the Golden Spike Athletics meet in Ostrava, Chopra expressed confidence and a positive mindset, while deliberately avoiding the pressure of consistently hitting the 90-meter mark.
“Main goal for the season is obviously World Championships in Tokyo,” Chopra stated, highlighting his focus on the biennial event. The 27-year-old is coming off a victory at the Paris Diamond League with a throw of 88.16 meters.
Chopra, who achieved a personal best of 90+ meters at the Diamond League in Doha earlier this year, emphasized the importance of his training with coach and javelin legend Jan Zelezny. “I am really happy to work with such a great athlete and coach. I’ve already thrown 90m this year… so let’s see when it comes next time but I am ready.”
He also shared his excitement about competing in Ostrava, a venue where he used to watch Usain Bolt as a kid: “When I was a kid, I watched a lot of videos and photos of athletes like Usain Bolt competing here.”
Looking ahead, Chopra is also enthusiastic about the inaugural Neeraj Chopra Classic, a javelin throw meet to be held in Bengaluru on July 5th, “This will be my first really serious competition in India with international athletes.”
Coach Jan Zelezny expressed satisfaction with Chopra’s progress and highlighted the importance of javelin and throws in athletics, noting that Neeraj has opened the doors to other countries.
Chopra, a gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver medalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics, will be competing at the World Athletics Championships being held from September 13-21.
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