Kishore Jena chases a return to Hangzhou high

New Delhi: If there’s one thing Kishore Jena doesn’t want to talk about, it’s the injury that stymied his ascent following the high of 2023. Inquests about his left ankle are met with sheepish smiles and clichéd responses that reveal little, but Jena makes it clear that he wants to move on. His performances in the recent past do not inspire much confidence, at least among distant observers, but the 29-year-old is looking at incremental gains.

“I am taking it slow. It’s like starting all over again,” he said from Mumbai, where he trains at the Reliance High Performance Centre. After a sub-par 2024 that saw him touch the 80m mark only twice, Jena opened the season with a second-place finish at the India Open in April, where his best throw was recorded at 75.99m. A week later, an effort of 77.82m placed him fourth at the National Federation Senior Athletics Championships in Kochi—results that he claims are “major stepping stones” toward reclaiming his peak.

“From the outside, these results may appear quite poor, but a lot of effort has gone into refining my technique. For the first time in months, I am able to throw without any pain,” he said.

“Javelin is a very technical sport where 80% of your performance is determined by your lower body. I kept working on my upper body strength, but I knew as long as I was not confident about my ankle, I wouldn’t be able to produce results. In the two domestic competitions, I threw without worrying about the injury, which was a big relief. It’s only the start of the season, so I didn’t go all out, but I can predict a good season ahead of me,” Jena added.

It’s been a little over three months since Jena started going full steam in practice. While throwing from short run-ups helped him get a feel of the spear, the confidence to go full throttle on the runway and execute the powerful ‘block’ arrived only after repeated sessions spread over weeks.

“Coming back from a surgery is never easy for an athlete. There are always lingering doubts about rehab, the fear of recurrence and the element of pain. You need to handle athletes with care at that stage,” said Steve Lemke, throws coach at the Reliance Foundation.

“Block is one of the foundations of javelin throw, so it was understandable for him to be a little circumspect. His technique had voluntarily changed around the injury to keep his ankle safe,” the coach explained.

Surgery and its psychological impact meant Jena’s approach had slowed, his upper body was opening up more than he wished, the block was limp, and his mind was invariably riddled with doubts. He would often think of his breakout 2023 season and ruminate over an uncertain future. A text from Neeraj Chopra did raise his spirits, as did the pep talks from Steve.

“I told him that he can’t be resting (on the highs) of 2023 anymore. Physically, he is a very strong guy who is capable of throwing really far. He needed to feel confident about himself all over again,” Steve said.

Up next for Jena are the Doha Diamond League on May 16 and the NC Classic in Bengaluru on May 24, and the only goal Steve has set for Jena is to enjoy his game.

“He is really looking forward to the two meets. I just want him to start having fun again. I want him to start competing at the elite level again, against really good competitors. We’ll take it year by year, as there are World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games lined up before the Olympics,” he said.

Having missed the Asian Championships qualifying mark, Jena plans to peak for this year’s World Championships in September, for which the marker is set at 85.50m.

“I haven’t thrown that far in a while. I am inching toward the 80m mark in training, and I usually throw 2–3m more in competitions. I am confident of reaching my 2023 levels very soon,” he said.