Jan Železný facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jan Železný

Železný in 2015
Personal information
Nationality	Czech
Born	(1966-06-16) 16 June 1966 (age 58) Mladá Boleslav, Czechoslovakia
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	86 kg (190 lb; 13.5 st)
Sport
Country	Czechoslovakia (1987–1992) Czech Republic (1993–2006)
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Turned pro	1986
Retired	2006
Now coaching	Neeraj Chopra
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	WR 98.48 m (1996)
Medal record Men's athletics Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 1 0 World Championships 3 0 2 European Championships 0 0 2 Total 6 1 4 Representing  Czechoslovakia Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Javelin Silver 1988 Seoul Javelin World Championships Bronze 1987 Rome Javelin Representing  Czech Republic Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Javelin Gold 2000 Sydney Javelin World Championships Gold 1993 Stuttgart Javelin Gold 1995 Gothenburg Javelin Gold 2001 Edmonton Javelin Bronze 1999 Seville Javelin Goodwill Games Gold 2001 Brisbane Javelin throw  European Championships Bronze 1994 Helsinki Javelin Bronze 2006 Gothenburg Javelin
Updated on 6 July 2012.

Jan Železný (born on June 16, 1966) is a famous former track and field athlete from the Czech Republic. He was a master of the javelin throw, which is an event where athletes throw a spear-like object as far as they can.

Jan Železný is an Olympic and World champion. He holds the current world record for the javelin throw. Many people think he is the best javelin thrower ever!

Jan Železný's Early Life and Career

Jan Železný was born in Mladá Boleslav, which was part of Czechoslovakia at the time. He started his amazing career by winning a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics.

He then went on to win three gold medals in a row at the Summer Olympic Games. These wins were at the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Setting World Records

Jan Železný holds the incredible world record for the javelin throw. He set this record in 1996 with a throw of 98.48 meters (about 323 feet). That's longer than a football field!

He also holds the record for the World Championships. He threw 92.80 meters (about 304 feet) in 2001. He was the only athlete to throw over 95 meters with the modern javelin three times.

His Retirement and Coaching

Jan Železný decided to retire from competing after the 2006 European Athletics Championships. He won a bronze medal there, which was a great way to finish his career. He officially said goodbye to the sport in his hometown of Mladá Boleslav in September 2006.

After retiring, Jan Železný started coaching other javelin throwers. He has coached successful athletes like Vítězslav Veselý and Barbora Špotáková.

A Tryout in Baseball

Something interesting happened after Jan Železný won gold at the 1996 Olympics. He had a tryout with the Atlanta Braves baseball team! He tried out as a baseball pitcher. Even though he had no baseball experience, both he and the team took the tryout seriously.

Jan Železný's International Achievements

Here is a list of Jan Železný's results in major international competitions:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Czechoslovakia
1983	European Junior Championships	Schwechat, Austria	6th	Javelin (old)	71.26 m
1985	European Junior Championships	Cottbus, East Germany	4th	Javelin (old)	75.10 m
1986	European Championships	Stuttgart, West Germany	18th (q)	Javelin	75.90 m
1987	World Championships	Rome, Italy	3rd	Javelin	82.20 m
1988	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	2nd	Javelin	84.12 m
1990	European Championships	Split, Yugoslavia	13th (q)	Javelin	77.64 m
1991	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	18th (q)	Javelin	76.26 m
1992	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	1st	Javelin	89.66 m
Representing the  Czech Republic
1993	World Championships	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	Javelin	85.98 m
1994	European Championships	Helsinki, Finland	3rd	Javelin	82.58 m
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	1st	Javelin	89.58 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	1st	Javelin	88.16 m
1997	World Championships	Athens, Greece	9th	Javelin	82.04 m
1999	World Championships	Seville, Spain	3rd	Javelin	87.67 m
2000	Olympic Games	Sydney, Australia	1st	Javelin	90.17 m
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	1st	Javelin	92.80 m
	Goodwill Games	Brisbane, Australia	1st	Javelin	87.52 m
2002	European Championships	Munich, Germany	11th	Javelin	NM
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	4th	Javelin	84.09 m
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	9th	Javelin	80.59 m
2006	European Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	3rd	Javelin	85.92 m

See also

In Spanish: Jan Železný para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of European records in athletics