Batonitz’s last match against Neeraj was the Diamond League final in Brussels earlier this year, with Neeraj finishing a commendable second place.
Neeraj Chopra with coach Klaus Bartonietz
In a poignant farewell message, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has announced that he is parting ways with long-time coach Klaus Bartonietz, who is retiring and return home to Germany.
Their partnership has been extremely successful, resulting in two Olympic medals (including one at Tokyo 2020), two Asian Games gold medals and a World Championship title.
“Coach, you are more than just a mentor to me. Everything you teach has helped me grow as an athlete and a person. You go out of your way to make sure I am mentally and physically ready for every game. You stand up for me because of Hurt to be hurt,” Neeraj wrote in a post on X.
I don’t know where to start as I write this.
Coach, you are more than just my mentor. Everything you teach helps me grow as an athlete and a person. You guys go above and beyond to make sure I’m mentally and physically ready for every game. You stand… pic.twitter.com/kJxaPqmHmm
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) November 6, 2024
“You were always there in my prime, and even more so in my downs. You were one of the quietest guys in the stands, but when I pitched, the words you said to me rang in my ears. I will miss it. We laughed about the shenanigans, but most of all, I will miss Team USA.
“Thank you for being a part of my journey. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey,” the 26-year-old added.
Kraus was initially hired by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) in 2019 as a biomechanics expert. He later became Neeraj’s coach due to differences between Neeraj’s former coach Uwe Hohn and the AFI.
Batonitz’s last match against Neeraj was the Diamond League final in Brussels earlier this year, with Neeraj finishing a commendable second place. The exceptional javelin thrower had a remarkable season, winning a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, finishing second in the Diamond League and participating in the Fed Cup in Bhubaneswar. Notably, this was Neeraj’s first competition in India in three years and he won the gold medal with a best throw of 82.27m.
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