Jan Železný

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Medal record

Jan Železný
Men’s Athletics
Olympic Games
Competitor for  Czech Republic
Gold 2000 Sydney Javelin
Gold 1996 Atlanta Javelin
Competitor for  Czechoslovakia
Gold 1992 Barcelona Javelin
Silver 1988 Seoul Javelin
World Championships
Competitor for  Czechoslovakia
Bronze 1987 Rome Javelin
Competitor for  Czech Republic
Gold 2001 Edmonton Javelin
Gold 1995 Gothenburg Javelin
Gold 1993 Stuttgart Javelin
Bronze 1999 Seville Javelin
European Championships
Competitor for  Czech Republic
Bronze 2006 Gothenburg Javelin
Bronze 1994 Helsinki Javelin

Jan Železný (pronounced Cs-Jan Zelezny.ogg [ˈjan ˈʒɛlɛzniː] ) (born 16 June 1966 in Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech javelin thrower, world and Olympic champion and world record holder in javelin throw. He holds all five of the top 5 javelin performances of all time.[1]

Železný won the gold at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympic Games and Silver in the 1988 Olympics as well as three World Championship titles; in 1993, 1995 and 2001. Because of his achievements he is widely considered to be the greatest javelin thrower ever.

Železný holds the world record, at 98.48 metres (323 ft 1 in) set in 1996, and the World Championships record of 92.80 m, set in 2001. As of 1 August 2005, Železný has made 52 throws over 90 meters, more than all other javelin throwers combined (32).[2] He is also the only athlete to throw more than 94 meters with the new type of javelin. He even achieved it five times.[1]

During his career he has had many great battles against the like of Steve Backley, Sergey Makarov, Boris Henry, Seppo Räty, Raymond Hecht and Aki Parviainen.

He planned to retire after the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, where he won the bronze with a throw of 85.92 m. He took leave of his career on 19 September 2006 on exhibition in Mladá Boleslav, the place where he started with athletics.

He will continue working for the IOC and as a coach in Prague.

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by
United Kingdom Jonathan Edwards
Men's European Athlete of the Year
1996
Succeeded by
Denmark Wilson Kipketer
Preceded by
Czech Republic Tomáš Dvořák
Men's European Athlete of the Year
2000
Succeeded by
Switzerland André Bucher
Preceded by
United States Michael Johnson
IAAF World Athlete of the Year
2000
Succeeded by
Morocco Hicham El Guerrouj
Sporting positions
Preceded by
West Germany Klaus Tafelmeier
Men's Javelin Best Year Performance
19871988
Succeeded by
Japan Kazuhiro Mizoguchi
Preceded by
United Kingdom Steve Backley
Men's Javelin Best Year Performance
19931994
Succeeded by
Germany Raymond Hecht
Preceded by
Germany Raymond Hecht
Men's Javelin Best Year Performance
19961997
Succeeded by
Finland Aki Parviainen
Preceded by
Greece Konstadinos Gatsioudis
Men's Javelin Best Year Performance
2001
Succeeded by
Russia Sergey Makarov