Jan Zelezny at Golden Spike Ostrava (© Ceska sportovní)
Javelin legend Jan Zelezny has returned home after nearly three months of warm weather preparation in Potchefstroom, South Africa, as he prepares to embark on what will be his last season of competition. And as a 'thank you' for their loyal support, he has also offered to buy a beer for each of the spectators at his home meet in Ostrava!
“I must say, I am very satisfied. I am healthy and feeling strong enough. That gives me a lot of confidence for my last season. I still want to compete with the best. My aim is to throw 90 metres, again, the last time I achieved that was back in 2001 at Edmonton World Championships,“ said the three-time Olympic and World champion.
Zelezny is planning his farewell tour. First he will compete at the World Athletics Tour meetings in Doha, Qatar (12 May) and in Ostrava (29 May), and the third outing will be in the home of javelin in Finland at Kuortane on 26 June. The World record holder’s July and August programme will be decided later.
“When some people saw me in South Africa they asked why I want to finish my career…But I told them – the decision is final. It will be my 20th season on top, I will be 40 in June, so of course I will miss competing, but it must come one day.”
His World record is the best one of all records when you take the Hungarian Scoring Tables into consideration, and his will soon be 10-years-old; he achieved 98.48 in Jena, Germany on 25 May 1996.
“I know many people are telling me that the only gold medal I am missing is from European Championships. I will try to do my best in Gothenburg, but it is not a hectic and be-all situation. If I lose nothing happens, I do not need push myself into too much pressure. I want to enjoy my last season.”
And Zelezny also intends to fulfill his promise to his fans at the Ostrava meeting, that he will buy each one of them a beer…of course at the end of the meeting!
About his future – he wants to be active as an IOC Athletes Commission Member and will start in autumn as a Javelin Throw coach. “We have some good youngsters, it is worth trying to teach them what I learned through my long career,” said Zelezny.
Alfons Juck for the IAAF
