Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday bid an emotional farewell to his German coach Klaus Bartonietz who ended his five-year partnership with the star Indian javelin thrower, citing family commitments. The 75-year-old coach, who guided Chopra to a historic gold at the Tokyo Olympics, a silver at the Paris Games this year, and several other medals, had earlier expressed his inability to continue, as reported by PTI in October. “I write this without knowing where to begin. Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition,” Chopra wrote in X in an emotional tribute.
“You stood by me through injury. You were there through the highs, and you were there even more through the lows.” Chopra also highlighted the coach’s quiet yet impactful presence, noting that while the laughter and pranks will be missed.
“You were one of the quietest in the stands, but your words to me rang the loudest in my ears when I threw.
“I will miss the pranks and the laughs we shared, but more than anything, I will miss US as a team.
“Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours,” he added.
I write this without knowing where to begin.
Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you taught has helped me grow both as an athlete and person. You have gone out of your way to make sure I was mentally and physically prepared for every competition. You stood… pic.twitter.com/kJxaPqmHmm
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) November 6, 2024
Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair said the German’s contract expired after the Paris Olympics and a new coach is likely be appointed before the end of the year.
“Yes, Dr Klaus will no longer be Neeraj’s coach. The AFI and Neeraj will together look for a coach for him,” Indian athletics chief coach Radhakrishnan Nair told PTI.
“Probably, we may have a coach for him before the end of this year. He (Dr Klaus) wants to be with his family. His contract with Neeraj has ended after the Paris Olympics.” The German first came on board as a biomechanics expert but he later became Chopra’s coach after Uwe Hohn fell out with the Athletics Federation of India and the Sports Authority of India.
Under Bartonietz, Chopra won Tokyo Olympics gold, Paris Games silver, became world champion and Diamond League champion, besides becoming Asian Games gold medallist.
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