NEW DELHI: The adductor problem that Neeraj Chopra has been struggling with for the past few months is now “okay” and the reigning Olympic champion has entered the intensive phase of his preparations for Paris, his German coach Klaus Bartonietz told PTI, dismissing concerns over the Indian star’s fitness.

The 26-year-old Chopra, who made history by winning gold in the javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics, is once again his country’s top contender for a podium finish at the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.

But his season has been far from perfect in terms of fitness. Bartonietz insisted, however, that everything is back on track.

“Everything is going according to plan. Right now there is no problem with that (adductor problem), it’s fine, it looks good, I hope it stays like this until the Olympics,” the coach, who has been with Chopra for almost five years, told PTI in an exclusive interview from Antalya, Turkey, where they are currently training.

“There are only two weeks left until the Olympics, so the intensity of the training is high. He has full throwing sessions.”

Chopra withdrew from Ostrava Golden Spike on May 28 as a precaution after feeling “something” in his adductor (a muscle group on the inner thigh). He made a strong comeback by winning gold at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland on June 18 with a throw of 85.97m.

On July 7, he withdrew from the Paris Diamond League, claiming the event had never been on his competition calendar for this year.

Chopra’s match day is just two weeks away, with the qualifying round scheduled for August 6.

When asked about Chopra’s workout routine, Bartonietz said, “We have sessions of sprinting, jumping or throwing or weightlifting alternating for activation in the morning. Two sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening, each two to two and a half hours long.

According to Bartonietz, the approach is virtually identical to that used before the Tokyo Olympics.

Chopra has insisted that he is focusing more on training than competing this time around, working on strengthening his blocking leg to reduce pressure on his groin.

“Yes. In general, javelin throwing is all about (a fast runway and good blocking). It is very difficult to throw far with a bad runway. The more energy you bring with it, the better it is,” the German biomechanics expert said.

“Three events before the Olympics is not a disadvantage”

Chopra competed in five events before Tokyo, but only three for the Paris Games. His coach sees no harm in shortening the competitions.

“You can participate in many events or not, it is difficult to say what is enough (number of events). It depends on the situation. Jan Zelezny (Czech legend and world record holder) says that he does not participate in too many events (only two for the 1992 Olympics, where he won gold).

“Competitions sometimes disrupt the preparation and you start all over again. Participating in high-class events can also become risky. Too much traveling with logistics, with spears all over the world, is also not good.

“So it’s fine, he’s prepared and trained well.”

When asked why Chopra withdrew from the Paris Diamond League on July 7, Bartonietz said: “There were some small issues, it wasn’t worth the risk to go there.

“The venue (of the Paris Diamond League) was also not the Olympic stadium (where Chopra will play on August 6 and 8), so we decided not to take any risks.”

It is not safe to predict a medal

None of the top javelin throwers have performed exceptionally well this season, and Bartonietz suggested that the competition at the Olympics could be wide open. As usual, he would not even predict Chopra’s chances.

“The Olympics are a high-stakes, high-pressure situation where anything can happen. Guessing a medal based on statistics is difficult.

“All the top throwers train to their best, they want to give their best in Paris and win a medal. Like them, we can also claim that Neeraj can win. These claims (about medal chances) can be biased and also squandered,” he noted.

German teenager Mex Dehning is the only one to have thrown further than 90 meters this year. According to Bartonietz, it all depends on momentum.

“A throw of 88 meters may not be enough for a medal at the Olympics, but it could happen with a throw of 85 meters, you never know. It’s like a game of poker and some days you can throw far if you have momentum.”

In addition to Jakub Vadlejch from the Czech Republic (silver medal winner at the Tokyo Olympics), Julian Weber from Germany and two-time former world champion Anderson Peters from Grenada, Bartonietz had also identified Oliver Helander from Finland as a medal candidate.

The Olympic Stadium in Paris is getting purple Mondo tracks, which experts believe will lead to faster times during races.

Asked if Neeraj will benefit from the runway, Bartonietz said: “It’s basically for sprinters (to have better timing). Of course it can be good for Neeraj too, but it’s for all javelin throwers, it can be fast. But it’s a matter of fully utilizing the speed.”