“We have to remain positive and prepare for the Olympics and at the same time the negative atmosphere doesn’t help. I am still trying my best to keep my focus on training,” Chopra in a media interaction organised by Sports Authority of India on Wednesday.

The health anxiety apart, a major concern is not having competed since January last year. That was his last international meet, when he qualified for the Olympics in a meet in South Africa. Plans for a training-cum-competition stint in Turkey had to be shelved as the Indian squad was asked to be in a 14-day quarantine after the spurt in Covid cases in the country.

Chopra has participated domestically—the Indian Grand Prix (IGP) and Federation Cup in March. He threw 88.07m in grand prix 3 in Patiala. It remains the world’s second best throw in the Covid-hit current season, behind Johannes Vetter’s 91.50m achieved in April. German Vetter threw 97.76m last year, the second-best all-time javelin throw.

While his rivals have been getting some competition, Chopra has been stuck at the national camp in Patiala.

“If I have to perform at Tokyo, I need to compete with those throwers who will be part of the Olympics. If I think I can keep training here and straightway go to the Olympics and give 100 %, it is going to be very difficult. It is my first Olympics. I don’t have any experience. It is important that I go there with confidence and the right mindset,” said Chopra.

The Tokyo Olympics field will be one of the toughest ever. “Compared to the last two Olympics, it will be the toughest because the current group is the best in the history of javelin. You have many throwers above 90m. Earlier, three or four throwers were good, but now you have seven-eight who are throwing above 87-88m,” he said.

Thomas Rohler won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics with a throw of 90.30. The bronze went to Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago with 85.38m. It was less than Chopra's 86.48m that season. He set a junior world record, but could not compete in Rio as his effort came days after the qualification window closed.

In the last three years, several throwers have crossed 90m. German trio Vetter, Andreas Hofmann and Thomas Rohler have breached it more than once while Magnus Kirt of Estonia and Chao Tsun Cheng of Taipei have also gone beyond the mark.

Chopra knows he will have throw 90-plus for an Olympic medal. “I have been constantly throwing above 85m and think the way I am training I am closer to throwing 90m. The body was responding well in IGP, and I can push myself If I get another competition.”

After a brilliant 2018 when he won gold at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, Chopra lost 2019 as he recovered from an elbow injury. The first event he got on his comeback in 2020—ACNW League Meeting in Potchefstroom—he threw 87.86m to qualify for Tokyo.

“It’s been almost two years that I have not competed internationally. I was lucky I at least qualified for Tokyo. I had just started to perform well at international level in 2019-2020 when I was down with injury, and then the pandemic happened,” said the 23-year-old.

The Athletics Federation of India plans to send him to Sweden later this month for training and competition. Chopra also targets the Diamond League series in Europe in June-July.

“We are looking at various options, like Finland and Sweden. Once you are based there you can participate in competitions in Europe. If it is 21-days quarantine, then there is no point because training suffers a lot.”