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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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| Impressum