At the Tokyo Olympics last year, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra became the first track and field athlete from India ever to win a gold medal at the Games. As Neeraj returns to competition for the first time since that euphoric Tokyo night in August last year, News9 got Dr Klaus Bartonietz, the German genius who coaches Neeraj, to dissect the nuts and bolts of javelin throwing. In this interview, the German breaks down what makes a successful thrower. He explains why throwers need explosive pace, flexibility like a ‘dhanush’, a front leg block like a ‘pahaad’, and a throwing arm as hard as ‘loha’. He also talks about Neeraj’s days in Tokyo in the lead-up to the gold medal, and what are the markers he looks for before competitions to know that the Indian is in good form.