DOHA, May 12 (AFP) - Czech javelin throw legend JanZelezny is using Fridays Qatar Athletics Super GrandPrix to kickstart his quest for a fourth straightOlympics gold medal later this year.
Zelezny, also a two-time world champion, will betaking part in only two other competitions - in Ostravaand Zurich - before bidding to become only the secondfield athlete to win four gold medals on the trot inAthens this August.
I am 37 now and Athens could be my last chance towin another Olympic gold medal,'' Zelezny said. I have cut down my international schedule toconcentrate on the Olympics but I have been practisinghard,’’ he added.
Zelezny, who holds the world record of 98.48 metres,is on course to emulate American discus throw legend AlOerter who has won four consecutive Olympic gold medals,although the Czech star also has a silver medal againsthis name, won at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.
In Doha, Zelezny will have competition from a youngbunch of hopefuls, the main contender among them beingthe powerful Estonian Andrus Varnik.
Varnik finished second at the World Championships lastyear in Paris with a throw of 85.17m, with Zelezny onlymanaging fourth spot with 84.09m.
Germanys Boris Henry, who won the bronze in Paris witha throw of 84.74m, is also competing in Doha.
The Qatar Grand Prix was not held last year because ofthe SARS epidemic and this time fears over theescalation of the conflict in Iraq has led to two of thehottest names in athletics opting out.
Tim Montgomery, the 100m world record holder, hadinitially agreed to come but chose to pull out laterblaming the Iraq crisis.
Tim was keen to participate in the Doha Grand Prixbut changed his mind when we got in touch with him inJamaica last week,'' said Sandro Giovannelli, the IAAFsdirector of competitions. He was a bit worried about the Iraq situationalthough we tried our best to convince him that Qatarwas far off from the strife ridden country,’’ addedGiovannelli.
Former 100m world record holder Maurice Greene alsocited the same concerns while declining the Qatarinvitation.
Greene, who won the gold at the Osaka Grand Prix onSaturday, had been to Qatar in 2002, but didnt actuallytake part because of an injury, disappointing local fansand organisers.
Meanwhile, Saif Saeed Shaheen, the athlete formerlyknown as Stephen Cherono, will be running his firstmajor race in his adopted country after switching toQatar from Kenya.
Shaheen, the reigning world champion in the 3000metres, will have to contend with more than half-a-dozenKenyans, including Eliud Kipchoge who won the 5000m goldat the World Championships, beating Algerian Hicham ElGuerrouj and Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele in the process.
The womens section sees US double world champion KelliWhite in action running her first individual race of theyear.
White, whose 100 and 200m victory in Paris last year,was clouded by dope charges, has only taken part in thePenn relays this year and faces competition fromcompatriot Chryste Gaines and LaTashaColander-Richardson.
So he’s injured, AGAIN? Anybody got details?