Glasgow, Aug 1 — India’s Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra admitted he remains some distance from peak fitness despite securing the silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the Commonwealth Games 2026, stating that his focus is on gradually rediscovering the rhythm that established him among the world’s best.

The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist finished second with a season’s best throw of 85.83 metres on Friday, behind Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, who claimed gold with an 89.75-metre effort.

Reflecting on his return after a prolonged injury lay-off, Chopra said he was encouraged by the progress but acknowledged that further work was required. “I can’t say my fitness is back to what it used to be,” he said after the competition. “I’m getting there gradually. Doha (Diamond League in June) was my first competition back, and nobody could say I was fully prepared then. I was a little better here, but I’m still trying to regain my rhythm through the upcoming competitions.”

He explained that complete fitness significantly influences performance at the highest level. “It’s not really pressure to win gold,” he said. “The biggest difference is when you’re 100 per cent fit. You have much more fighting spirit. You feel like you can do anything. But when you’re coming back from an injury, you have to be a little careful with every step. Today I was cautious. Sometimes I wanted to throw with full power, and at other times I wanted to stay under control because of the conditions. Despite that, the throw was good.”

Chopra also pointed to the cold conditions in Glasgow as a challenge for the entire field. “I also had only one decent throw today,” he said, referring to his 85.83-metre effort. “I felt the other throws could have been better, but the javelin just didn’t fly. I felt I could have thrown farther too, but the javelin wasn’t holding its line. I don’t perform my best in the cold. I prefer warmer weather… Because I have Indian blood,” he added with a smile.

He noted that the champion also needed only one quality attempt to secure victory. “Only one good throw is enough,” Chopra said. “He had one good throw today, and I also had only one decent throw.”

Although satisfied to return to the podium, the 28-year-old said his primary objective remains steady improvement across the remainder of the season. “Definitely, there’s still room to improve,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’ve improved a lot this season. I could have done even better. The aim now is to keep improving gradually in the next competitions.”

The silver medal marks another significant step in Chopra’s carefully managed return to elite competition following injury.