New Delhi: The Commonwealth Games may be taking place early in the athletics season but India's top javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra says he can hit top gear and better his personal best to win a medal at Gold Coast next month.
The 20-year-old Chopra, whose personal best of 86.48m in 2016 remains the junior world record, said his off-season three-month stint in Offenburg, Germany under prominent coach Werner Daniels has been beneficial to him.
He is hoping that he will better his personal best this year after failing to do so last season.
"It was more about strength training, strength building in Offenburg and I feel I have achieved with what I have set out before the German stint. I have improved in my core strength and I feel I am stronger than before," he said.
The Haryana thrower said that touching his personal best should fetch him a medal in the April 4-15 CWG as well as the Asian Games in August-September.
"After I set the junior world record in 2016, I could not improve upon my personal best in 2017. My target this year to consistently throw above 85m mark and do better than my personal best. I feel I can do that at Gold Coast and win a medal for my country. That will be my first medal in a big multi-sporting event," he said.
"This year is an important one for me. There are these CWG and Asian Games and then I will take part in some Diamond League series and other international events also," said Chopra who will be one of the top stars in the Federation Cup Senior Championships beginning in Patiala on Monday.
Last year, Chopra had a 85.63m effort in Patiala for his best of the season. He won the Asian Championships gold in Bhubaneswar. He also took part in three Diamond League series events, finishing fifth in one. But he disappointed in the London World Championships, failing to make it to the final round after a best effort of 82.26m.
Chopra was in Germany till the first week of last month and he bagged a silver at a competition in Offenberg where he hit 82.80m to finish second behind world champion Johannes Vetter of Germany.