New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS): Country’s leading javelin throwers including double Olympic Games medallist Neeraj Chopra and top female athlete Annu Rani will have an opportunity to get coaching tips from Russian javelin expert Makarov Sergey Aleksandrovich as they gear up for the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships.
The 51-year-old Aleksandrovich, winner of multiple global medals, including bronze at the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Games, has been appointed keeping in mind the next Olympic Games cycle, chief national coach Radhakrishnan Nair said on Tuesday. “The Russian javelin throw expert arrived earlier this week and will be based at Patiala’s National Institute of Sports in Punjab,” Nair said. “Aleksandrovich’s vast experience as an athlete and coach will surely give a fillip to the development of javelin throw in the country.”
At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, India’s ace javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra added a silver medal to his kitty of gold won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
At the 2023 World Athletics Championships, three Indian javelin throwers were in the top six. Chopra went on to win the gold medal. The double Olympic Games medallists had won silver at the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships. Apart from overseeing the elite Indian javelin throw programme, the Russian throwing coach will also interact with Indian coaches from time to time to update their knowledge, the AFI informed on Tuesday.
According to the chief national athletics coach, the main focus will be the 2025 World Athletics Championships starting September 13 in Tokyo, Japan. “Asian Championships in May is another important event this year,” Nair said.
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) had recommended Aleksandrovich’s name to the sports ministry, which was approved to oversee the training of elite Indian javelin throwers. Aleksandrovich has an impressive profile. His personal best of 92.61m, a Russian record, was recorded in 2002 in Sheffield. During his competitive career, he has recorded throws over 90m four times. He also won a bronze medal at the 2003 Paris World Athletics Championships and the 2005 Helsinki World Championships in Finland. Aleksandrovich was also coach of the Russian national team from 2012-2018.