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Gatis Čakšs Photo: Zane Bitere / LETA
Latvian javelin thrower Gatis Čakšs feels comfortable in the heat of Tokyo and concentrates on the technical performance of the litter before the competition, the Latvian athlete said in a conversation with journalists on Monday. Chakss is one of the last Latvian athletes to come to Tokyo to take part in his first Olympic Games. The first impressions are pleasant for the athlete.
“I like this kind of weather because it seems that the heat” lubricates “the body faster,” says a javelin thrower about the first days in the Japanese capital. “Seeing how many athletes there are and what conditions to live in, the impressions are grand. There are no problems with catering. Here is a dish that I like everyday – mostly rice and chicken. I don’t want to take unnecessary risks before the competition, so I stick to my own. When it’s all over, I’ll definitely show up and try something else. I promise I’ll try sushi first. “
At the Olympic Games, each athlete and other participants are given badges, often decorated with the name of the country and the colors or symbols of the flag. Pavel Švecovs, a representative of Latvia’s modern pentathlon, has already amassed an impressive collection, but Čakšs has only one at his disposal. I managed to get the same in an amusing way – before the training on the bus it hit the buttocks. It is now attached to the cord of the accreditation card.
At the National Stadium in Tokyo, where the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games also took place, athletics can normally be watched by up to 68,000 fans. Such a “giant” of athletics is not a surprise or a novelty for Chaksh, because during his career he managed to compete in both Berlin and Ostrava, as well as two years ago at the World Championships in Doha. “I admit that this stadium is even bigger, but when I enter it, I don’t feel much difference,” Čakšs has already got acquainted with the competition venue. “If there were viewers, I would definitely feel different.”
The athlete admits that the warm climate can only help him, because he has managed to achieve good results in similar conditions before. Chaksh emphasizes that he would not want an air temperature close to +40 degrees Celsius on the day of the competition, but there would be no fault around +30 degrees. On Sunday, the air temperature in Tokyo was around +32 degrees Celsius, but the thermometer placed on the stadium lawn was +39 degrees.
Although there has not been much training, the first glow has already been felt. In Tokyo, the 2019 World Championships in Doha are immediately remembered, where the warm-up took place in the heat of +40 degrees. The “ice vests” given to athletes at the time quickly became “thermal vests”. Surprises in this respect are probably not expected in the competition, because, like many other domestic athletes, the hot Latvian summer helped Čaks to harden.
“Yesterday [svētdien] training was quite good throws, but outside was around +35 degrees. I told the coach that in the future it would be appropriate to hold the camp in similar conditions, ”says the javelin thrower. “I didn’t feel anything at the time of the throws, but when I had done all the throws and went back to the sector, I felt that this was something else. I’m not one of those who tends to water myself, but I did it yesterday. “
Chaksh lives in Tokyo according to local time and tries to follow a relatively strict regime. Both of them go to bed with the coach in time so that they can go to training the next morning. “Sometimes I think about the realization of my throws, then the heart starts beating a little faster, but there is no fear,” “I think less and more about the start of the Olympics.”
The athlete is not worried about mental readiness. More emphasis should be placed on the technique, which has recently been thoroughly worked with the coach. “The mood is very good because I have competed with all these men before,” Chaksh shares. “We have already greeted and talked, because there is a good relationship between the javelin throwers. We can talk at any time. There was more excitement before because I didn’t know what my physical condition would be and whether I would be at the right readiness at the right time. Of course, I’m also a little worried about the technique, or I will be able to do everything right at the right time. I’ll come to the sector path, then I’ll see. “
At the beginning of the year, Chaksh healed an elbow injury, but shortly before going to Tokyo, one of his trainings slightly twisted his ankle. At the moment, the athlete has managed to put his health in order. “The injury to the elbow slightly damaged the view of the Olympics, but I dealt with it. Later in training, throwing a spear, grabbing the cord and turning the ankle. It seemed that we were all done, but the next day I was able to walk, and after two days I was throwing a spear again, ”there was no lack of experience before the Olympic Games.
The athlete emphasized that training results are not a measure. They regularly manage to reach the 80-meter limit, but this season they have managed to broadcast a spear at a distance of 87.57 meters. The Tokyo Olympics standard is 85.00 meters. Chakss is the only Latvian javelin thrower in the men’s competition. It is in this discipline that fans often have the highest expectations. This is justified, because Vadims Vasilevskis and Ainārs Kovals were once happy with high-quality results, not to mention the legendary Jānis Lūsis.
“You can feel a little pressure, but I look forward to more of the next Olympics, where more could be done,” the bigger goals set for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “Of course, I will try to achieve a good result here as well. There may be pressure, but I don’t think so. “
The first goal is to reach the final competition, in which only the 12 best javelin throwers will take part. On Tuesday, three Latvian representatives – Līna Mūze, Anete Kociņa and Madara Palameika – will take part in the javelin throwing qualification competition. Chaksh wishes all the ladies the final and reveals that they will definitely watch the competition. Chaksam qualifiers are scheduled for Wednesday. It is not yet known in which qualification group the athlete will start. The closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games is expected on Sunday.
