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Legend´s last effort worth of 82.19 |
MLADA BOLESLAV, Sep 19 - It was 17.53 hrs local time in home city of the best javelin thrower ever. His farewell with the local fans was there. His last throw, We are the champions from Queen was heard from the loudspeakers and all nearly 2000 people clapping and standing. As always in his life he tried very hard. The best throw of the evening 82.19 metres. Not bad after 20 years of international career in the 40 years of age. Because it was his exhibition meeting he choosed only four throws version of the competition. What a great marks: 81,92 - X - 81,99 - 82,19. In his 246th competition since 1986 it was his 210th over 80 metres. After the competition he felt very much his achilles and was forced to cancel the meeting of Yokohama, Japan which was supposed to be his last. That meant that Mlada Boleslav was his last competition. Interestingly on the stadium, which has his name and where he never competed before. Because it is new and as a junior he competed in the older nearby one with cinder track. The competition was an exhibition, also female record holder Barbora Spotakova (she was also well there with 65.03 m) was competing, also the best juniors and U17 athletes were there and even 12-years old Jan Kubes who achieved new best of 39.60 metres. The same happened in the men 110mHurdles where czech number one Stanislav Sajdok competed with best youth athletes who had of course smaller hurdles and was beaten. Or in high jump where Svatoslav Ton attacked only so 220 cm. Roman Sebrle and Tomas Janku were also there, but tired after Talence and Athens, they just signed autographs. But the most wanted was the one from Jan and he waited even for the last child who wanted his signature and even all the journalists were forced to wait. He gave the priority to young generation. "I got too much from sports, more than I ever expected. Now the time is there to return something back," he said. He always was a proud father - he was asked which moments of his life where the best and he said when his children were born. Of course all the medals and titles too, but children are coming first. Now he will continue as coach (at his Dukla Praha club), official (IOC Member), even ambassador (Golden Spike meeting of Ostrava) and many other activities and projects with which he wants to remain in sports. "But now I will be on the opposite side. Until now I was the one for whom all the others coaches, doctors, managers worked. Now I will be the one who is going to be there and help the others," he explains his future. "I think sometimes somebody will come and will be better than me in javelin," he says. But try for that, for example the average of his best 100 throws is 90.70 m....
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Alfons Juck
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