Vijaynagar (Karnataka), star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra is in top physical condition to claim a medal at the Paris Games, said Spencer Mackay, head of strength and conditioning at Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS). .
The 26-year-old Indian, who underwent rehabilitation at the IIS for an elbow injury before winning Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, has been troubled by an adductor problem for the past few months.
Chopra will not participate in Sunday's Paris Diamond League and will immediately compete in the Olympics.
Mackay said he is "following it closely".
"He is in excellent physical condition and well prepared," Mackay said in a video interview.
"His past injuries and his recent problems are now an afterthought. When the Olympic finals begin, Neeraj will be in a fantastic position to win another medal for the country."
Olympic and world champion Chopra had returned to competitions in June after a month-long break to seek his first gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. In May he finished second in the Doha Diamond League.
Chopra also participated in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he won the gold medal.
"For an athlete, it is not guaranteed to perform at your best all the time, especially for athletes like Neeraj, who compete at the highest level. But his plan is very clear: stay fit, strong and balanced to give your best chance at the Games Olympics".
The Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) here has been a go-to place for several Indian athletes over the years to recover and rehabilitate from injuries.
Spencer, who has been with the state-of-the-art facility since its inception, noted that sports science and rehabilitation are vital components of modern athletic training, playing a critical role in improving performance, preventing injuries and promoting an effective recovery.
"India has a lot of scope to improve the performance of its athletes, which will translate into better results.
"As long as there are possibilities for sports training to be complemented by sports science and coach development, the possibility of India massively increasing the medal tally in the next Olympics will be clear."
Talking about the rehabilitation programs, he said: "Our elite performers train off-site, but our main goal is to adapt the rehabilitation programs according to the situation and the injury suffered based on the data we have about them. We also keep in mind the psychological aspect". of an athlete suffering a specific injury and the way in which he suffered it.”
"If we have more contact with them, we can do more based on the ability of the athlete and how much we have been able to expose them to development over time, being a key component of the rehabilitation process during the injury situation.
"But regardless, we're happy to be in a situation where we've been able to impact the rehabilitation of athletes in a positive way and to see them return to the level of performance they were in before is an incredibly rewarding position."
The 26-year-old Indian, who underwent rehabilitation at the IIS for an elbow injury before winning Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021, has been troubled by an adductor problem for the past few months.
Chopra will not participate in Sunday's Paris Diamond League and will immediately compete in the Olympics.
Mackay said he is "following it closely".
"He is in excellent physical condition and well prepared," Mackay said in a video interview.
"His past injuries and his recent problems are now an afterthought. When the Olympic finals begin, Neeraj will be in a fantastic position to win another medal for the country."
Olympic and world champion Chopra had returned to competitions in June after a month-long break to seek his first gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland. In May he finished second in the Doha Diamond League.
Chopra also participated in the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, where he won the gold medal.
"For an athlete, it is not guaranteed to perform at your best all the time, especially for athletes like Neeraj, who compete at the highest level. But his plan is very clear: stay fit, strong and balanced to give your best chance at the Games Olympics".
The Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) here has been a go-to place for several Indian athletes over the years to recover and rehabilitate from injuries.
Spencer, who has been with the state-of-the-art facility since its inception, noted that sports science and rehabilitation are vital components of modern athletic training, playing a critical role in improving performance, preventing injuries and promoting an effective recovery.
"India has a lot of scope to improve the performance of its athletes, which will translate into better results.
"As long as there are possibilities for sports training to be complemented by sports science and coach development, the possibility of India massively increasing the medal tally in the next Olympics will be clear."
Talking about the rehabilitation programs, he said: "Our elite performers train off-site, but our main goal is to adapt the rehabilitation programs according to the situation and the injury suffered based on the data we have about them. We also keep in mind the psychological aspect". of an athlete suffering a specific injury and the way in which he suffered it.”
"If we have more contact with them, we can do more based on the ability of the athlete and how much we have been able to expose them to development over time, being a key component of the rehabilitation process during the injury situation.
"But regardless, we're happy to be in a situation where we've been able to impact the rehabilitation of athletes in a positive way and to see them return to the level of performance they were in before is an incredibly rewarding position."
