Jan Železný
Zelezny January 2012
January Zelezny ( born June 16, 1966 in Mladá Boleslav, then Czechoslovakia) is a Czech athlete is, the three -time world champion and reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the javelin.
Between his first international success, the third place in the World Cup of 1987, and the last, third place at the European Championship in 2006, is 19 years. In September 2006, he announced his retirement from professional sport.
Records
Zelezny threw in his career total of four new world records. The first, he scored with a width of 87.66 meters on 31 May 1987 in Nitra. Once this has since been improved by Patrik Bodén and Steve Backley, he threw in 1993 in St. Petersburg a new record ( 95.54 m), which he improved in Sheffield a few months later to 95.66 m. On May 25, 1996, Jena, he managed to still valid world record of 98.48 meters.
Zelezny is the only javelin thrower, the one with the prescribed since 1986 Competition javelin managed a width of more than 94 meters; the next best width comes from the Finnish Aki Parviainen ( 93.09 m) from the year 1999. Overall, he scored together 52 throws over 90 meters, more than all other launchers. (As of August 9, 2012 )
His Olympic record of 90.17 meters in 2000 was improved in 2008 by Andreas Thorkildsen to 90.57 m.
Coaching career
Since end of his career he trained, among others, Vítězslav Vesely, Vadlejch Jakub, Petr Frydrych and Barbora Špotáková.
Placements
Olympic games
With three Olympic victories Zelezny is the most successful javelin throwers Olympic history. Before him, only Eric Lemming and Jonni Myyrä could repeat her Olympic victory in the early days of the sport. In athletics could with Al Oerter in the discus throw and Carl Lewis in the long jump two athletes win four Olympic victories in a row. Behind these two is Zelezny with three wins and a second place par with the triple jumper Viktor Sanejew.
World Championships
With three world titles Zelezny is the most successful javelin thrower at the World Championships. The most successful athlete in this regard is the pole vaulter Serhiy Bubka with six world titles.
European Championships
In the history of European championships, there were few athletes who managed to win four European titles in a row. Although two of them were javelin throwers, namely Jānis Lūsis 1962-1971 and Steve Backley 1990-2002. Zelezny was in January at the World Championships and Olympic Games will be able to beat Steve Backley. In European Championships he never made it. Following the resignation of Steve Backley Zelezny returned in 2006 once again back on the stage of the European Championships. But at age 40 he had no chance against the " young athlete " as the Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen of 2004.