"It's not a major obstacle to his performing at all" - Neeraj Chopra's S&C coach Spencer Mackay on his injury concerns ahead of Paris 2024 Olympics
Neeraj Chopra has become a household name in India. His gold-medal-winning throw at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 changed the landscape of not only track and field but also sports in the country, giving millions the inspiration that India can compete with the best of the best. The 26-year-old is now gearing up for the Paris Olympics 2024.
While almost every Indian has heard from the golden boy of India, it is not very often that you get to talk to the men behind the scenes and the success of the greatest athletes in sport. Spencer Mackay, Neeraj Chopra’s strength and conditioning (S&C) coach, is one such key figure in Chopra’s success story.
Mackay has built a distinguished career in the field of sports and exercise physiology. A multi-sport athlete in his younger days, Mackay was certain he would end up doing something in the sporting industry. He went on to pursue an undergraduate degree in exercise physiology from a university in Edinburgh.
His deep-rooted interest in the physical aspects of sports led him to undertake several internships and hold part-time and full-time positions in renowned institutes such as Scottish Rugby. These experiences significantly shaped his career. He eventually rose to oversee the entire women's program of Scottish Rugby, and also lead various initiatives and programs.
Driven by a desire to challenge and expand his perspective on strength and conditioning, Spencer Mackay ventured to India, immersing himself in a new cultural and professional environment. His current role in India at the Inspire Institute of Sports allows him to invest in athletes across various levels and create a lasting legacy through his dedicated efforts.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Spencer Mackay, India’s golden boy’s Strength and Conditioning (S&C) coach, talks about the intricacies of training an Olympic champion, the challenges faced, and the journey ahead as they prepare for Paris 2024.
When asked if any injuries led Neeraj Chopra to withdraw from the Paris Diamond League and if they were a point of concern, Mackay responded:
"No, it's not a point of concern because, largely, like every athlete is going to have something. And it can be either something that presents more of a problem and results in something like a surgery or time loss from training and competing. Or it can just be something that was always there, that was a work on in the background. So in reality, no, it's not a major obstacle to his performing at all.”
“And if anything, his decision to not compete in Paris Diamond League is at his discretion based on how he wants to get himself ready for Paris Olympics. That's it," he added.
This strategic decision to focus on preparation rather than competition could be attributed to the demanding nature of javelin as a sport. It requires consistent and meticulous training. Mackay went on to shed light on Neeraj Chopra's training regimen and the effort it takes to maintain this high-performance level.
"Neeraj is an incredibly loadable athlete. So, the depth of things that he's capable of doing without error or however you want to format that is in itself really deep. There are a number of things that can be done that can constitute his training program. The upside of the scope of his performance level is that any one of these things can be done interchangeably depending on how you want to position them to be ready," he explained.
Mackay's approach to training Neeraj Chopra has been adaptive and progressive, ensuring that Neeraj remains injury-free while enhancing his capabilities. The process of coaching Neeraj Chopra has been a mix of continuous learning and adjustment.
"So in terms of like getting things across to him and coaching him over time, that's been a very bit by bit process because we've had them for short periods, long periods. And I've been in camp and out of camp," Mackay said.
"The essence of Neeraj is that little by little, he's basically taken to these well, and we've either kept things in a physical program or disregarded those things, or kept continuity by retaining the things done before. It's basically result in his overall strategy of his program. It's been a long time since you made any technical correction," he added.
Mackay also emphasized Neeraj Chopra's disciplined and diligent nature, which has been a key factor in his sustained high performance.
"He's like disciplined, diligent. And that's quite an unshakable quality that he's got. It's not something that's kind of like flippant. It's not something that's like short-lived based on currently performing well. I think the outcome and the repeatedly high performance level is the product of the behavior," he explained.
"So he's an incredibly diligent, smart worker. And actually, like I'm saying, over time, he seems to have developed a really clear idea as to how he's going to do this. So with loads of information given and support provided, he's the one that's been able to come up with that picture and that solution. And that's, I think, what you're seeing when you look at Neeraj Chopra and the performances," Mackay further explained.
“From my point of view, it's pretty difficult to pinpoint one time” - Spencer Mackay on the turning point in Neeraj Chopra’s career
Neeraj Chopra has already had a rather distinguished career. The 26-year-old athlete from Haryana has won a gold medal at the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, Diamond League, Asian Championships, and even the World Junior Championships. Chopra even ascended to the top spot in the world rankings in 2023.
Many argue that his medal-winning performance at the Olympics was a turning point in his career, but Spencer Mackay had a different take on things. Mackay shared his and Neeraj Chopra’s insights on the topic and said:
"I think he would tell you that probably the throw where he won the junior world record was quite a key point in terms of, not because it was a record, but I think because it was the point where he had done something that recognition would come from. Fundamentally, it's a massive throw because at that age it's further than anybody had thrown before, so it's quite a clear mark."
"From my point of view, it's pretty difficult to pinpoint one time. I do believe that an injury rehab is an interesting process for an athlete, because I think there's a chance that they can learn something about themselves. And that sounds very basic, but I think there's a different process that you go through, and things have changed," he added.
"So depending on severity and things like this, the athlete has basically had the game changed a little bit for them. So they have to regather and they have to reformat things with support to basically apply that then to their point of view and come out with that rehab largely because of this," Mackay explained.
He further elaborated on how athletes emerge stronger from rehabilitation:
"The essence is probably on how the athlete comes out the back of that because of how they take to the rehab and the things that they learn by doing that and coming through that and continuing a lot of these psychological elements and learn behaviors and apply that to their ongoing training after. I think that's a large part of it."
Neeraj Chopra will be seen in action, defending his gold at the Paris Olympics from August 6.