Jan Zelezny

Jan Zelezny

World and Olympic champion and holds the world record with a throw of 98.48 metres (323 ft 1 in). Widely considered to be the greatest javelin thrower of the modern era, he also has the fourth, fifth and sixth best performances of all time. He broke the world record a total of four times.[1]

He won the silver medal in the 1988 Olympics and the gold medal at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympic Games. He won World Championship titles in 1993, 1995 and 2001.

Železný holds the world record of 98.48 metres (323 ft 1 in), set in 1996, and the World Championships record of 92.80 metres (304 ft 6 in), set in 2001. On 26 March 1997 in Stellenbosch, South Africa, he threw over the 90-metre barrier five times in a single meet. Until September 2020, he was also the only athlete to throw more than 95 metres with the new type of javelin, something he achieved three times.[1]

How did Zelezny throw so far?

Below are edited video excerpts from a 5 part documentary, in which experts explain their answer to that question:

The Throw!

Convert the run up momentum into the throw!

Be the Bow!

Stretch Reflex:  Muscles can be rubber bands!  Imagine your throwing arm being anesthetized (totally relaxed).  Do not contract the muscles.  Just let them go along for the ride!  They will stretch and snap on their own (stretch-reflex) and strike faster than you can consciously throw with your arm only!

It's Physics!

Throw Straight - Aim at a Center-field Target!