Posted: May 3, 2006

Athletics: Zelezny Confident On Eve Of Farewell Tour

By Bob Ramsak
© 2006 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved

When Jan Zelezny kicks off his final season in Doha, Qatar next week, the javelin legend hopes that his appearance there, and elsewhere on his upcoming farwell tour, will be more than just a symbolic good-bye wave.

After two decades at or near the top of his event, the three-time Olympic and world champion will call it quits after this season, but the Czech, who will celebrate his 40th birthday mid-June, insists that his farewell tour is more than mere novelty.

"I must say, I am very satisfied," he said after his routine three-month training stint in Potchefstroom, South Africa. "I am healthy and feeling strong enough. That gives me lot of confidence for my last season. I still want to compete with the best."

Zelezny said he hopes to reach 90 metres [295-5] again this season, a feat he's surpassed a staggering 53 times. Only eight others have ever broken that barrier with the currently configured implement. His world record throw of 98.48 [323-1] has stood for nearly a decade and has never been seriously threatened.

But he hasn't reached that still-formidable barrier since 2001, when he captured his third world title in Edmonton, Canada, with a 92.80 [304-5] effort. Hobbled by injury, he competed on only five occasions each of the past two seasons; his best effort last year was 83.98 [275-6] for fourth at the World Athletics Final.

The only title missing from his trophy case is that of European Champion, but he said he'll refuse to put any pressure on himself during his final season of competition.

"I will try to do my best (at the European Championships) in Goteborg, but it is not a hectic and be-all situation. If I will loose, nothing happens. I do not need to push myself into too much pressure. I want to enjoy my last season."

And he wants his fans to enjoy it as well.

After his appearance at the Golden Spike Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic, on May 30, his last at a major competition at home, Zelezny plans to deliver on one last promise to his fans: he'll buy everyone in the house a beer. Assuming a capacity crowd --a virtual guarantee for the nation's premiere athletics event-- that's a round for more than 20,000.

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