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Defending an Olympic title is a daunting task, as Neeraj Chopra will discover when he steps onto the runway in Paris with the weight of expectations on his shoulders. The Indian javelin thrower, who won gold in Tokyo in 2021, will be aiming to become only the second man in history to successfully defend an Olympic javelin title.

Michael Johnson, the legendary American sprinter who won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championships, knows what it takes to defend an Olympic title. He successfully defended his 400m title in Sydney in 2000, despite battling injuries in the lead-up to the Games.

“It is very difficult when you are the defending champion,” Johnson said. “It comes with its own pressure. Sometimes when an athlete is not expected to win, it’s easier to do than when they are expected to win.”

Chopra will be carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders in Paris. But Johnson believes that the Indian star has the mental strength to handle the pressure.

“He has the whole of India wanting him to win,” Johnson said. “Not all athletes have done it. I was able to do it and it can be done. It comes with an advantage that you know that you can win. You have done it before. You also carry the champion’s confidence.”

Chopra has been in impressive form since his Olympic triumph. He is the reigning world champion and has consistently medalled in major meets. Johnson believes that Chopra is capable of great things in Paris.

“He is flying high,” Johnson said. “Going by his performances in the last two years, he has been spurred by his sensational Tokyo Olympics gold.”

Johnson also stressed the importance of managing expectations.

“Expectations will always weigh on you,” he said. “It’s just about how you manage it. You have your own expectations, fans have expectations, and the whole country has its expectations. Trying to pretend that it’s not there and doesn’t exist is a mistake. The key is to manage those expectations, especially in the moment when you are preparing to focus on only the things you can control.”

Johnson is looking forward to some good performances in the Paris Olympics, especially with the energy of the fans coming back after the Covid-restricted Tokyo Games.

“Lot of athletes told me that they missed the energy of the fans in the stadium,” he said. “The thing about the Olympics is that all events are thrilling because the stakes are high. These are your best athletes at their best. They have all trained for this moment. Everybody wants to be the champion but only one will get the gold medal. So, there will be last minute drama. You are going to have athletes trying to show up in Paris not believing they can win gold and they can leave Paris with a gold medal. It’s an amazing story when that happens.”