Renowned double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra made a significant move on Saturday, November 9 by enlisting the expertise of former Czech javelin thrower Jan Zelezny as his coach. Zelezny, widely regarded as one of the greatest javelin throwers of the modern era, will be instrumental in preparing Neeraj for the upcoming season, which includes the prestigious World Athletics Championships where the Indian athlete aims to defend his gold medal.
At 58 years old, Zelezny is a legendary figure in the world of javelin throwing, having achieved world and Olympic champion status. He also holds the record in the event, further solidifying his reputation as a true master of the sport.
Following his historic gold medal win at the Tokyo Olympics, Neeraj secured a second-place finish at the 2024 Paris Games, narrowly missing out on the top spot to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. With the guidance and mentorship of Zelezny, Neeraj is poised to continue his impressive athletic journey and reach new heights in his career.
Who is Jan Zelezny?
Jan Zelezny, a 58-year-old athlete from Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, is a renowned world and Olympic Games champion. He holds the impressive world record for javelin throw at 98.48m, a record he broke four times throughout his career.
Zelezny's success on the world stage includes winning silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and 2000 Sydney Olympics. In addition to his Olympic achievements, he also secured World Championships titles in 1993, 1995, and 2001. Notably, he set a World Champs record of 92.8m at the 2001 event in Alberta.
One of Zelezny's remarkable feats occurred in March 1997 in Stellenbosch, South Africa, where he threw over 90m five times in a single meet. Until September 2020, he remained the only athlete to surpass 95m with the new javelin design, achieving this milestone three times.
Zelezny's exceptional talent and numerous accomplishments have solidified his legacy as one of the greatest javelin throwers in history.
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