<h3 style="text-align: center;">Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS)</h3>
World javelin champion, 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist and 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist
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Going back to my very first memory of watching the javelin at a state level meet, there was something immediately captivating about the event. I was aged 14 or 15 at the time and I liked the fact that a javelin thrower is not confined to a circle. There was an energy about using a runway, followed by the snap of the javelin and the way the javelin floated in the air.&nbsp;
I initially dabbled in the event, but it was from the age of 17 when I fell in love with javelin. I felt the event fitted me and I fitted the event. When I delivered the javelin, I felt an element of ease. I knew the event was going to work for me. In other athletics events, I had to work hard to achieve average results but the javelin felt more natural.
Over time, my passion for the event has evolved. I love the combination of power, strength, speed and skill that is necessary to be able to throw the javelin a long way.&nbsp;&nbsp;
When all is going well, each throw feels effortless. The timing comes together and you feel the spear snap off the fingers, the energy flows through the shaft and the javelin flies. Of course, not every day is a good day. On the bad days the event is really tough. Your timing may be off by a fraction of a second and you have to work hard to piece it altogether. But that is what I appreciate about javelin, it is such a humbling event. It is a technical event which is not just based on raw power but a certain finesse and beauty &ndash; like all the throws.
My manager explains it perfectly by describing javelin as like a &ldquo;relaxed explosion&rdquo;. In some ways that moment of release is a bit like a car crash, but it is important to remain relaxed. It is like being in a peaceful state in a moment of chaos.
I like challenging the body to do something that I&rsquo;ve never done before. I love that feeling in a competition of standing at the end of the runway, of feeling free. There is something really rewarding about every day working hard and being asked to bring my very best out in competition.
Steve Landells for World Athletics

There was something immediately captivating about the javelin.

Kelsey-Lee Barber: why I throw

<h2>Women's javelin</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391&amp;competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;sexCode=W&amp;disciplineCode=JT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/women/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/women/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/women/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/throws/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
Five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Maria Andrejczyk came within two centimetres of the Olympic bronze medal in the women&rsquo;s javelin. This time, the 25-year-old Polish athlete comes into the Tokyo Games as one of the favourites for gold.
Andrejczyk staked her claim as the No.1 contender by unleashing a throw of 71.40m in Split, Croatia, in March &ndash; third on the world all-time list behind only the world record of the Czech Republic&rsquo;s Barbora Spotakova (72.28m) and Cuba&rsquo;s Osleidys Menendez (71.70m).
Andrejczyk, the European U20 champion in 2015, surprised many by leading the qualifying rounds in Rio with a national record throw of&nbsp; 67.11m &ndash; an effort that would have won in the final. But she just missed out on a medal with a best throw of 64.78m in the final as two-time Olympic champion Spotakova edged her for the bronze.
Andrejczyk went through a tough stretch after Rio, undergoing shoulder surgery and sitting out the 2017 season and falling fall short of her top form in 2018 with a best of 54.24m. She also was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and had successful surgery.
Dealing with a nagging elbow injury in 2019, Andrejczyk finished only 22nd at the World Championships in Doha with a modest throw of 57.68m. Then came an achilles injury that set her back yet again. The one-year postponement of the Tokyo Games played in Andrejczyk&rsquo;s favour, allowing her to recover from injury and return to peak form.
After her record-breaking throw in May, however, she didn't compete for the following six weeks. Since then her best mark has been 63.63m in&nbsp;Monaco, where she seemed to experience some discomfort in her throwing arm. And in her last competition before the Games, she threw 59.96m in Cetniewo.
Andrejczyk will be challenged by some familiar names, former champions and rising stars in Tokyo.
Defending champion Sara Kolak of Croatia won gold in Rio with a national record throw of 66.18m but, based on current form, does not look primed to retain her title. Since Rio, she had elbow surgery in 2018 and moved from Slovenia to Oslo to be coached by Norway&rsquo;s two-time Olympic champion&nbsp;Andreas Thorkildsen.
Kolak finished only seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Doha and has continued to struggle, managing a best throw this year of only 60.04m.
Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia is the world champion, having won in Doha with a throw of 66.56m. But she, too, has been below par with a season&rsquo;s best of only 61.09m. &nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/2536be2d-5c5f-4e0a-aa07-cbb27f643b44.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="635" />
 Leading contenders in Tokyo include Christin Hussong of Germany, the fourth-place finisher in Doha who threw 69.19m in Chorzow, Poland, in May at the European Team Championships, and US champion Maggie Malone, who has thrown a national record of 67.40m this year. Hussong has shown some good consistency this season, with three 66 metre-plus competitions before her 69.19m in Chorzow and a best of 66.63m since, while Malone also threw 66.82m in May.&nbsp;
China has never won an Olympic medal in the women&rsquo;s javelin but has several athletes who could chase podium places in Tokyo: Lyu Huihui, fourth on this year&rsquo;s world list at 66.55m; Liu Shiying, the world silver medallist who has a personal best of 67.29m; and Yu Yuzhen, who has thrown 64.98m this year.
And what about Spotakova, the world record-holder, three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in 2008 and 2012? The Czech athlete, who turned 40 in June, had her second child in 2018 and since then she has finished ninth at the World Championships in Doha and won at the recent Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
Don&rsquo;t count her out as she seeks to match her former coach and men&rsquo;s world record-holder Jan Zelezny by winning medals at four consecutive Olympics.
The women&rsquo;s javelin has produced many surprises at major championships over the years, so anything is possible in Tokyo.
Steve Wilson for World Athletics
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<h2>Men's javelin</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;countryCode=&amp;disciplineCode=JT&amp;sexCode=M&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/men/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/men/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/throws/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
To say Johannes Vetter has dominated the javelin in recent seasons would be something of an understatement.
He is the only man in the world to have thrown beyond 90 metres in the past 24 months. In fact, he has done so 18 times &ndash; including a record streak of seven competitions between April and June this year.
The 2017 world champion from Germany even threatened the world record last year, throwing 97.76m in Silesia to move to second on the world all-time list, just 62 centimetres shy of the long-standing world record set by Czech legend Jan Zelezny.
Vetter returned to the same venue for this year&rsquo;s European Team Championships and produced another monster effort, throwing a world-leading 96.29m. While he came just short of his lifetime best, Vetter&rsquo;s incredible consistency beyond the 90-metre line this year has been phenomenal.
His run of 90-metre competitions ended at the recent Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead, but he was still victorious (85.25m), extending his winning streak to 18 competitions.
But despite being so dominant, Vetter isn&rsquo;t short of motivation. He finished third at the 2019 World Championships, just 1.52m short of gold. At the Rio Olympic Games, meanwhile, he wound up fourth &ndash; an agonising six centimetres shy of the bronze medal-winning throw.
Sometimes surprising things can happen in the javelin, though. Few would have predicted that Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s Keshorn Walcott, an U20 athlete at the time, would win gold in 2012, but the teenager emerged the surprise victor.
Fast forward nine years and Walcott is still among the world&rsquo;s best. He picked up bronze in Rio in 2016 and this year has a season&rsquo;s best of 89.12m &ndash; the second-best throw of his career. He has also finished in the top three in all of his outings this year. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/07082d03-f804-464f-8b89-15fb3e3ef8ac.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="623" />
 Anderson Peters is another thrower who has landed a surprise global title. The Grenadian took the world title in Doha, having also landed Pan-American gold with a national record of 87.31m earlier in 2019. He heads to Tokyo with a season&rsquo;s best of 83.46m, but he knows how to produce big throws when it counts.
Commonwealth champion Neeraj Chopra was forced to miss the 2019 World Championships due to injury, but the Indian returned to form earlier this year, breaking his own national record with 88.07m. In Kuortane, in what was his final competition before heading to Tokyo, Chopra finished third behind Vetter and Walcott with 86.79m, underlining his medal potential.
Vetter&rsquo;s German teammate Julian Weber has been one of the more consistent throwers this year. The world and Olympic finalist threw a season&rsquo;s best of 84.95m in Lucerne a few weeks ago and has consistently placed in the top three in all of his contests this year.
Moldova&rsquo;s Andrian Mardare started the year in sensational form, throwing 86.66m in Split in May to finish second to Vetter. He has backed it up with a few more competitions in the mid-80s range, which could be where medals are won in Tokyo.
Marcin Krukowski&rsquo;s biggest throw of the year, a Polish record of 89.55m, came in Turku in early June. But at the Polish Championships two weeks later, he took just one throw. More recently, he managed 73.07m in Cetniewo in a competition in which he retired after a few throws. Hopefully the two-time world finalist was just taking things easy as a precaution and will be in top shape in Tokyo.
South Africa&rsquo;s Rocco van Rooyen has yet to reach a global championships final, but he will be buoyed by his 85.97m PB from earlier this year and his third-place finish in Turku.
Toni Kuusela is the leading hope from javelin-loving nation Finland. The 27-year-old set a PB of 85.03m last month, but will be making his Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Others capable of potentially hitting a big throw in what can often be an unpredictable event include Pakistan&rsquo;s Arshad Nadeem, Latvia&rsquo;s Gatis Cakss, Lithuania&rsquo;s Edis Matusevicius, USA&rsquo;s Michael Shuey and Belarusian duo Aliaksei Katkavets and Pavel Mialeshka.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the women's and men's javelin.

Tokyo Olympics preview: javelin

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: long throws

Two decades after she made her first appearance at the meeting, world record-holder Barbora Spotakova notched up her 10th javelin victory at the Odlozil Memorial, winning with 60.21m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Prague on Monday (7).
In a contest that was held in memoriam of 1952 Olympic javelin champion Dana Zatopkova, Spotakova took the lead in the first round with 58.81m and then improved to 60.21m in the following round, coming within four centimetres of the season&rsquo;s best she had set just a few days prior.
The two-time Olympic champion from the Czech Republic rounded out her series with a 59.85m effort in the final round. Greek U20 thrower Elina Tzengko was second with 57.92m.
Spotakova, 39, first competed at the Odlozil Memorial as a teenager back in 2001, around about the time she was considering a switch from the heptathlon to the javelin. In 2007 she achieved her first victory at the meet, then set a meeting record of 68.81m there one year later. She went on to win seven more times at this meeting between 2009 and 2017 before adding a 10th triumph on Monday.
Pavel Mialeshka led a Belarusian 1-2 in the men&rsquo;s javelin. Aliaksei Katkavets held the early lead with his opening effort of 82.91m, but Mialeshka took the lead in round four with 85.06m, breaking his PB from four years ago. 2013 world champion Vitezslav Vesely was third with a season&rsquo;s best of 82.63m.
World finalist Iryna Zhuk added to the Belarusian success, winning the women&rsquo;s pole vault with 4.65m.
Namibian teenager Christine Mboma came from behind to win the women&rsquo;s 200m in a national and meeting record of 22.67 (1.2m/s). The 18-year-old overtook Gina Bass (22.76) and Beatrice Masilingi (22.82) in the closing stages.
Liberia&rsquo;s Emmanuel Matadi won the men&rsquo;s 100m in 10.07 (0.8m/s), holding off a strong challenge from Panama&rsquo;s 2009 world 200m silver medallist Alonso Edward (10.09).
In the men&rsquo;s 1500m &ndash; the specialist distance of 1964 Olympic silver medallist Josef Odlozil, after whom the meeting is named &ndash; was won by Kenya&rsquo;s Boaz Kiprugut in a PB of 3:35.26.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Two decades after she made her first appearance at the meeting, world record-holder Barbora Spotakova notched up her 10th javelin victory at the Odlozil Memorial, winning with 60.21m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Prague on Monday (7).

Spotakova secures 10th Odlozil Memorial victory in Prague

Nigeria&rsquo;s Ese Brume and USA&rsquo;s Maggie Malone made history at the Chula Vista Field Festival, setting area and national records respectively at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting on Saturday (29).
Brume produced the leap of her life in the final round of the long jump, going from third to first with a world-leading 7.17m. The world bronze medallist added five centimetres to the Nigerian record set by Chioma Ajunwa when winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
The long jump competition had already been a high-quality affair leading into the final round with six women having leaped 6.80m or farther. But it came alive in round six with Brume&rsquo;s leap prompting two more women to jump beyond seven metres.
Multiple world and Olympic champion Brittney Reese sailed out to 7.10m with her final effort with the wind reading just above the allowable limit (2.3m/s). She had jumped a wind-legal 6.83m earlier in the competition.
Chantel Malone of the British Virgin Islands ended her series with 7.07m (2.0m/s) to finish third. USA&rsquo;s Sha&rsquo;Keela Saunders (6.90m, wind assisted) and Malaina Payton (6.89m) were fourth and fifth, while 2014 world U20 champion Akela Jones of Barbados set a national record of 6.80m in sixth.
Maggie Malone continued her strong run of form in the javelin, recording not just her sixth win of the year and fourth PB, but also breaking the US record in the process.
She took the lead in round two with 63.42m, then sent her spear out to 66.82m in round three, adding 15 centimetres to the previous mark set by Kara Winger in 2010.
Canada&rsquo;s Liz Gleadle was second with a season&rsquo;s best of 63.33m.
Vashti Cunningham moved up to fourth on the US all-time list when winning the high jump with 2.02m.
The 2016 world indoor champion, still aged just 23, had first-time clearances up to and including 1.90m, then needed two attempts to get over 1.93m. Jelena Rowe also got over that height on her second try, but bowed out of the competition with three misses at 1.99m.
Cunningham, meanwhile, passed straight to 2.02m and had immediate success, going clear on her first jump. Happy with her result, Cunningham opted not to continue jumping.
Olympic champion Jeff Henderson sailed out to a season&rsquo;s best of 8.39m (1.5m/s) in the first round of the long jump to secure victory. The world silver medallist followed it with 8.24m in round two and then passed his remaining attempts.
Marquis Dendy and Corey Crawford both jumped 8.29m, but Dendy placed second on countback, thanks to having another 8.29m leap within his series.
Elsewhere, world leader Rudy Winkler maintained his winning streak in the hammer &ndash; but only just. He threw 78.78m in the first round, which remained the best mark of the day, but Alex Young came within half a metre of that throw with his 78.30m for second place.
Donald Scott won the men's triple jump with a marginally wind-assisted 17.22m, while Jamaica's Sabina Allen won the women's event with 14.20m. Michael Shuey took the men's javelin with 80.32m.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Nigeria’s Ese Brume and USA’s Maggie Malone made history at the Chula Vista Field Festival, setting area and national records respectively at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting on Saturday (29).

Brume and Malone break records in Chula Vista

Javelin specifications had been amended from the start of April 1986, changes which had been in the offing for several years in response to massive throws in the men&rsquo;s event and safety concerns. A turbulent decade followed which saw more rule modifications and no less than 13 world records ratified.
However, the upheavals to the record books came abruptly to an end when Czech javelin legend Jan Zelezny launched his implement out to 98.48m in the German city of Jena on 25 May 1996.
On Tuesday, this mark celebrates its silver anniversary, having been the standard for the event for 25 years.
To demonstrate how venerable that mark is, to date there have been 142 performances beyond 90 metres, achieved by just 20 different throwers, but only two men &ndash; the German pair of Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler &ndash; have come within five metres of Zelezny&rsquo;s world record.
With Vetter and Rohler&rsquo;s best throws having only come in the last four years. It is fair to say that Zelezny&rsquo;s record has only come to being realistically thought of as being beatable since the last Olympic Games.
The implement&nbsp;Zelezny used to set his world record was donated to the World Athletics Heritage Collection in 2018 and is among the exhibits in&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)</a>. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60acae61b338328cb88e6d23.png" alt="" width="950" height="521" /> 
<h3>Record for the long haul</h3>
It is no understatement to say that Zelezny&rsquo;s world record was far ahead of its time, deserving comparisons with other famous field event records of extraordinary longevity such as Bob Beamon&rsquo;s 8.90m long jump at the 1968 Olympic Games which &lsquo;only&rsquo; lasted 23 years or, in the same event but of an earlier vintage, Jesse Owens&rsquo; 1935 long jump world record of 8.13m which survived until 1960.
It was no surprise prior to his phenomenal performance in Jena &ndash; with the city famed for its optics but also having a certain place in athletics history as the venue for seven official world records and several other world bests &ndash; that Zelezny broke the world record.
After all, he had set four previous world records and held the prevailing standard of 95.66m which he had thrown in 1993.
Despite the claims of some other throwers, notably Great Britain&rsquo;s Steve Backley and Finland&rsquo;s Seppo Raty, Zelezny had also arguably been the world&rsquo;s best thrower since the early 1990s and had topped the annual rankings by the prestigious US magazine Track and Field News since 1992.
In 1996, he was also the reigning Olympic and world champion as well as having thrown over 90 metres every year since 1991.
However, adding almost three metres to his three-year-old world record seemed beyond most people&rsquo;s imagination and comprehension.
<h3>Right on the night</h3>
However, the circumstances at the historic Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld &ndash; which had been built back in 1924 and could still boast of wooden benches from its inauguration &ndash; on the night were perfect.
An enthusiastic crowd had come to see what was then one of the country&rsquo;s top athletics meeting on a warm but breezy early summer evening despite it being televised live on German television.
The conditions, with gusts sometimes reaching more than three metres-per-second, were unhelpful to the sprinters but the compact six-man javelin field was throwing from right to left in front of the main stand and the stadium construction also offered something akin to a wind tunnel which Zelezny and his principal German rivals Raymond Hecht and Boris Henry quickly&nbsp;realised would be to their advantage.
The event got underway at 18:30 local time and Zelezny took the lead with a first round effort of 87.76m.
With his second throw, Zelezny reached 92.88m, a distance no other man had ever reached since the latest specifications for the javelin had been introduced in 1991, but Hecht was also in fine form and threw 90.06m.
It was in the third round that Zelezny rewrote the history books of his event for a fifth and final time.
Still wearing long tights, he sprinted down the runway and found an almost perfect angle of release as the javelin flew over to the right side of the sector.
<h3>Hands down, it&rsquo;s a record</h3>
His effort was such that he finished prostrate and face down on the track, breaking his fall with his hands.
What made the record extra special is that, unusually, his wife and two young children were in the audience.
&ldquo;After my training camp in South Africa (where he had two meetings in early April throwing over 90 metres before then travelling to Osaka two weeks before his feat in Jena and throwing 90.60m) I felt in good form. We didn&rsquo;t actually have a meeting planned but I begged my coach Jan Pospisil to find one,&rdquo; Zelezny explained a decade later.
&ldquo;He came up with Jena, so I drove there with my family,&rdquo; which was a winding 350-kilometre journey from his home just north of Prague in the town of&nbsp;Mlada Boleslav.
&ldquo;On my first attempt I made a mess of my runup and threw too far away but still threw over 87 metres. My second throw over 92 metres told me I could get the world record."
<h3>Banking his bonus</h3>
Zelezny recounted that he had two beers to celebrate that night, picked up his somewhat modest 10,000 Deutsche Marks world record bonus cheque (approximately &euro;5100) and the following morning packed up his family and javelins for the six-hour drive back home.
&ldquo;After the meeting, I said that 100 metres was possible, and I targeted a competition in Ostrava the following week, but it didn&rsquo;t happen," he said.
&ldquo;I was also throwing an old aluminium model and it is one of my few regrets of my career that I did not have the chance to throw a carbon-fibre model, which had not been developed at that time. If you hit it perfectly you can get an extra metre, and they can fly out beyond 100 metres.
&ldquo;The world record throw was not perfect technically either. Hands, feet, shoulder, there were small things that could be improved everywhere.&rdquo;
Nevertheless, despite all these apparent imperfections, it is a record that has stood the test of time.
Phil Minshull for World Athletics Heritage

Czech javelin legend Jan Zelezny launched his implement out to 98.48m in the German city of Jena 25 years ago.

Zelezny's javelin world record celebrates its silver anniversary

Johannes Vetter notched up a fourth consecutive javelin victory beyond 90 metres, winning at the Anhalt Meeting &ndash; part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze series &ndash; in Dessau on Friday (21).
Showing no signs of tiredness from his world-leading 94.20m effort in Ostrava two days prior, the 2017 world champion opened with a solid 87.67m before sending his spear beyond the 90-metre line in round two with 91.86m.
That mark added exactly one metre the meeting record that had stood to Sergey Makarov for 19 years. But Vetter wasn&rsquo;t finished, and he threw 93.20m in the next round to consolidate his lead. After an 88.09 effort in round four, he retired from the competition, more than satisfied with his performance.
World and Olympic finalist Julian Weber was second with a season&rsquo;s best of 84.51m while Moldova&rsquo;s Andrain Mardare was third with 82.99m.
&ldquo;I actually didn&rsquo;t expect to throw this far again today &ndash; 93.20m is quite something, especially since my last competition was just 48 hours ago. So yes, I&rsquo;m really happy with the result,&rdquo; said Vetter, who has already thrown 90 metres seven times this year, equalling his best single-season tally. &ldquo;It was a pretty solid series overall, but as a precaution I decided to pass on the last two attempts. Not necessarily to preserve energy, I think I&rsquo;ve shown that I&rsquo;ve got enough of that at the moment with that 93-metre throw, but I didn&rsquo;t want to take any risk. You do feel it, that competition in Ostrava just two days ago. This year the Olympics is the big goal, that&rsquo;s the main motivation until then, but I am really pleased with how well things are going.
&ldquo;Of course, gold at the Olympics is the big goal. I don&rsquo;t think we had expected for things to be going as well as they are at the moment, some may call it early form, for us it&rsquo;s more manifestation to help us determine at which level I&rsquo;m at, but I know there&rsquo;s still more in the tank. The main thing now is to stay healthy, not to rush things, to not take all six throws when you feel your body is starting to tire and continue to concentrate on what really matters.&rdquo;
Only Zelezny has managed to produce more 90-metre throws than Vetter in a single season. The Czech legend, who holds the world record at 98.48m, managed 14 90-metre throws in 1995. He also achieved five consecutive 90-metre competitions that season; Vetter is currently at four such competitions.
&ldquo;To be able to throw as consistently as I am at the moment, I don&rsquo;t think anyone has been able to do that since Jan Zelezny and that makes me incredibly proud and happy,&rdquo; said Vetter. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s still a long way to go to Tokyo.&rdquo;
World champions Malaika Mihambo and Sam Kendricks were comfortable winners of their respective events.
Kendricks won the men&rsquo;s pole vault with 5.80m and went on to have three solid attempts at a would-be meeting record of 5.91m. Mihambo, meanwhile, leaped 6.68m (1.1m/s) to win the long jump by 17 centimetres.
Ukraine&rsquo;s Iryna Herashchenko emerged as the surprising winner of the high jump, winning on countback from world silver medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh as both women cleared 1.92m. World champion Mariya Lasitskene finished equal seventh with a best clearance of 1.80m.
Elsewhere, Belgium&rsquo;s Cynthia Bolingo set a meeting record of 51.75 to win the women&rsquo;s 400m, and Poland&rsquo;s Pia Skryszowska held off a strong challenge from Elvira Herman to win the 100m hurdles by 0.02 in 12.92. Benjamin Robert won the men&rsquo;s 800m in 1:45.79.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Johannes Vetter notched up a fourth consecutive javelin victory beyond 90 metres, winning at the Anhalt Meeting – part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze series – in Dessau on Friday (21).

Vetter betters Dessau meeting record with 93.20m

It just so happens that the last piece of international track and field action at the International Stadium in Gateshead was a 1.98m clearance that secured a personal best and a victory in the final event to be decided at the 2013 European Team Championships for the emerging young high jumper Mariya Kuchina.
Eight years on from that breakthrough senior performance &ndash; which came indoors after thunder, lightning and flash flooding rendered the outdoor field section too dangerous &ndash; the global queen of the high jump, now three-time world outdoor champion Mariya Lasitskene, takes part in the first event on the programme of the 2021 Wanda Diamond League opener at Gateshead on Sunday (23).
An uncertain mixed picture of sunshine and showers is forecast for the Muller Grand Prix Gateshead but the famous arena in the north-east of England will be flooded with stellar talent, with a cast featuring 10 reigning world or Olympic champions and a combined cache of more than 100 global medals.
Top billing, undoubtedly, has to go to the not so much loaded as overflowing women&rsquo;s 100m. Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson, the trailblazing 21-year-old US sprint phenomenon who scorched to a 10.72 clocking in Florida in April, tests her rapidly rising pedigree against all three medal winners from the 2019 World Championships final in Doha. 
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Sha'Carri Richardson wins the 100m at the USATF Golden Games at Mt SAC</div>
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Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican Peter Pan Pocket Rocket of the women&rsquo;s sprint game, was within 0.01 of her lifetime best with a 10.71 clocking that secured her fourth world 100m title in the Qatari capital. Silver medal winning Briton Dina Asher-Smith, who went on to take 200m gold, and bronze medallist Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou are also on the start list for the heats, although Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic 100m and 200m champion Elaine Thompson-Herah has withdrawn because of injury.
Two weeks on from her heat and final sub-10.80 clockings in the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Walnut, and on the back of her winning European circuit debut over 200m in Ostrava on Wednesday, Richardson has the chance that was denied her in 2019 when she failed to qualify for the US team for Doha. Since her eighth-placed finish at the US Championships final in Des Moines, the world U20 record-holder has won 10 successive 100m races (heats and finals).
Fraser-Pryce, now 34, is on a winning streak of seven 100m races, dating back to the Diamond League final in Brussels which preceded the 2019 World Athletics Championships, when she finished runner-up to Asher-Smith. Both Fraser-Pryce and Asher-Smith have yet to race over 100m in 2021, but have posted 200m times of 22.60 and 22.56 respectively.
Something will have to give.
Richardson proclaimed after her 10.74 and 10.77 clockings on the Mt SAC track in Walnut: &ldquo;Every time I step on the track I want to make history.&rdquo; She might need to run the fastest women&rsquo;s 100m in Gateshead history to maintain her winning run. Weather permitting, the 10.93 stadium record could well be eclipsed.
For Richardson, a comfortable 200m winner in 22.35 in Ostrava, it will be a first Diamond League test outside the United States. In 2019 she finished fourth in the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in Stanford, clocking 11.15 in a race won by Ta Lou in 11.02, with Fraser-Pryce a distant eighth in 11.39. She also placed third in a high school girls&rsquo; 200m that preceded the Diamond League programme in Eugene in 2017.
At 21, Mondo Duplantis already seems like a Diamond League veteran, with eight meet victories to his name. The Swede extended his unbeaten record to a 23rd competition with his 5.90m clearance in Ostrava, confessing to feeling rusty in his season&rsquo;s opener.
The 6.18m world record-holder will be seeking to return to six-metre-plus form in Gateshead, where he will again be up against Sam Kendricks, the US rival who inflicted his last defeat, in the 2019 world final. Bronze medal winning Pole Piotr Lisek completes a rematch of the podium trio from Doha.
Lasitskene is another star performer on a long-term winning streak. The 28-year-old is unbeaten in 14 competitions dating back to September 2019 and her third-placed finish in the Europe v USA match in Minsk. 
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Mariya Lasitskene tops 2.04m in London</div>
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In her first outdoor test of 2021, however, she faces Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the 19-year-old Ukrainian who cleared a world U20 record of 2.04m in losing to her on countback in the epic 2019 world final. The fourth and fifth placers from Doha are also in the field: Mahuchikh&rsquo;s compatriot Yulia Levchenko and Kamila Licwinko of Poland.
European record-holder Jakob Ingebritsen faces the rising Australian duo Ollie Hoare and Stewart McSweyn in a 1500m race that also includes Adam Ali Musab, the Qatari who ran a world-leading 3:32.41 in Doha back in February.
Fresh from a 19.93 (-0.6m/s) victory in Ostrava, Kenny Bednarek lines up against four of the first six finishers from the world 200m final two years ago. Canada&rsquo;s Andre de Grasse (third in Ostrava) and Ecuador&rsquo;s Alex Quinonez picked up silver and bronze behind Bednarek&rsquo;s US rival Noah Lyles in Doha, while Briton Adam Gemili and Canada&rsquo;s Aaron Brown placed fourth and sixth.
The 3000m steeplechase features the three fastest men on the 2020 world list. Soufiane El Bakkali, the Moroccan who took bronze and silver in the last two world finals, Kenyan Leonard Bett and France&rsquo;s Djilali Bedrani will all be making their 2021 debuts over the barriers.
Nicholas Kimeli, one of the fastest men in the world last year over 5000m and 10,000m, will take on fellow Kenyans Jacob Krop and Michael Kibet in the 5000m. If the race is tactical, watch out too for in-form Spaniard Mohamed Katir. Australia&rsquo;s David McNeil, Spain&rsquo;s Adel Mechaal and Britain&rsquo;s Andy Butchart should also be in contention.
Four weeks on from her solo 4:01.54 victory at the USATF Grand Prix in Eugene, European champion Laura Muir returns to British soil for her second 1500m of the season. The world indoor silver medallist ended her US training and racing spell looking sharp, with a 1:58.71 victory over 800m at the Track Meet in Irvine last weekend. 
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Laura Muir takes another 1500m win in London</div>
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Fellow Briton Katie Snowden advanced her PB to 4:02.98 with a win in the 1500m in the same Californian event and will be seeking to back up that breakthrough win in a face that also features sub-four performers in 2014 world indoor silver medallist Axumawit Embaye of Ethiopia and Rababe Arafi of Morocco. Uganda&rsquo;s 800m specialist Winnie Nanyondo and, at the other end of the spectrum, Britain&rsquo;s European 5000m silver medallist Eilish McColgan are also in the field.
In the field, in addition to Lasitskene, there will be two other world champions seeking to crank their Olympic season into gear.
Tajay Gayle, the Jamaican long jumper who stunned the world with his 8.69m gold medal leap in Doha, already has a 8.27m mark to his name this year. Grenadine javelin man Anderson Peters will be looking to build on the 83.39m he threw for second place behind Johannes Vetter&rsquo;s monster 94.20m in Ostrava. 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott, third in the Czech Republic with 82.75m, is also in the field. 
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Tajay Gayle in action at the Diamond League meeting in London</div>
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Gayle&rsquo;s Jamaican teammate Kimberly Williams will be looking to reproduce her winning form from Mt SAC earlier this month where she won with 14.62m. But US record-holder Keturah Orji, who finished second on that occasion, will be out for revenge.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd, who took 2019 world silver, meets 2015 world champion Christina Schwanitz of Germany in the shot, while fellow Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Stephenie Ann McPherson square up over 400m.
The 100m hurdles promises to be a domestic sisterly affair, with Cindy Sember lining up against Tiffany Porter, whose British record she missed by a mere 0.02 with a 12.53 clocking at Mt SAC.
Simon Turnbull for World Athletics

The Muller Grand Prix Gateshead will be flooded with stellar talent, with a cast featuring 10 reigning world or Olympic champions and a combined cache of more than 100 global medals.

World stars raring to go as Wanda Diamond League action returns to Gateshead

Johannes Vetter produced the standout performance among an all-star cast of talent at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19), the German unleashing a 94.20m effort in the opening round of the javelin competition.
That was the third longest throw of the 28-year-old&rsquo;s career, and gave him victory with 11 metres to spare over his nearest rival, world champion Anderson Peters, who threw 83.39m.
&ldquo;It was a great throw,&rdquo; said 2017 world gold medallist Vetter. &ldquo;But of course the world record would be even better. It was great training for me. I made only small mistakes and managed to hit the javelin very clean.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What a 🚀<a href="https://twitter.com/jojo_javelin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jojo_javelin</a> produces impressive 94.20m world lead with third biggest throw of his career. The only man to have ever thrown farther than the German is <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> meeting director and world record-holder Jan Zelezny.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/FNYtb47c0d">pic.twitter.com/FNYtb47c0d</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395078584730062852?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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 The touted 3000m world record attempt by Joshua Cheptegei fell victim to the cold, windy conditions on the night, the Ugandan setting off on pace and passing 1000m in 2:26. He followed his second pacemaker Stewart McSweyn through the next two laps before being left alone to hit 2000m in 4:56.19. But with Daniel Komen&rsquo;s world record of 7:20.67 then slipping out of reach, Cheptegei didn&rsquo;t need to empty his tank thereafter but he maintained a decent pace to again stamp his supremacy over some world-class rivals.
His 7:33.24 was a world lead and personal best, with the USA&rsquo;s Paul Chelimo a distant second in 7:41.69.
&ldquo;It was kind of a speed test for me,&rdquo; said Cheptegei, who added that his next stop is the Golden Gala in Florence on 10 June, where he will race over 5000m. There, he will renew his rivalry with compatriot Jacob Kiplimo, who produced the performance of the meeting on the track four hours earlier. The world half marathon champion put on an exhibition in the 10,000m, moving to seventh on the all-time list with his time of 26:33.93.
The 20-year-old Ugandan coasted behind the pacemakers until 5000m, reached in 13:27.43, then shifted through the gears over the latter half, which he ran entirely alone in a blazing 13:06 to carve almost a minute off his previous best, which dated back to the 2016 World U20 Championships. 
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 &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t expect to run that time, I was hoping to run under 27:00,&rdquo; said Kiplimo, who added that he will double over 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics and that his goal in Tokyo is to &ldquo;be on the podium&rdquo;.
Back in second, Birhanu Balew set a Bahraini record of 27:07.49.
<h3>Burgin and Hodgkinson claim British 800m double</h3>
British teenagers Max Burgin and Keely Hodgkinson produced a pair of stunning performances in the 800m races, clocking respective European U20 records of 1:44.14 and 1:58.89.
Hodgkinson followed the pacemaker through the first lap in 58 seconds in the women&rsquo;s race and hit 600m in front in 1:28.39, then powered away from her rivals to record her first ever sub-1:59 clocking.
&ldquo;I knew I was in good shape but it&rsquo;s different getting it out on the day,&rdquo; said the 19-year-old. &ldquo;The pacemaker did an amazing job and it was a perfect race. I could not ask for more.&rdquo;
Burgin was rewarded for his bravery in going with the pacemaker &ndash; the only runner in the men&rsquo;s 800m to do so &ndash; and clocked a world lead and European U20 record of 1:44.14. He came home well clear of Dutch athlete Tony van Diepen (1:45.36) and Britain&rsquo;s Jake Wightman (1:45.47). The effort left him in some distress afterwards as he took several minutes to get to his feet in the mixed zone.
&ldquo;I saw the race of my good friend Keely who ran just before me and she ran so fast so I thought, &lsquo;I just have to match it at least,&rsquo;&rdquo; said Burgin, who only turns 19 on Thursday. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Britain's 19-year-old <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxBurgin3?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaxBurgin3</a> breaks the <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroAthletics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EuroAthletics</a> U20 record with a world-leading 1:44.14 at <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/SxfOq5kV8B">pic.twitter.com/SxfOq5kV8B</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395064267754332165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

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 Marcin Lewandowski showed all of his typical tactical nous to kick to victory in the men&rsquo;s 1500m in 3:35.57. &ldquo;Those who know me know I start slowly,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But I&rsquo;ll get better during the next weeks and months.&rdquo;
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Freweyni Hailu was a class apart in the women&rsquo;s 1500m, clocking 4:04.20 to win from Slovenia&rsquo;s Marusa Mismas-Zrimsek (4:07.50). World record-holder Genzebe Dibaba stepped off the track midway through the final lap when fading back through the field.
Getnet Wale coasted to victory in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, the Ethiopian running all alone for the latter half of the race and winning by 11 seconds in 8:09.47. Britain&rsquo;s Phil Norman was next best in 8:20.12. &ldquo;It was a good race, but the weather was a bit too cold and one pacemaker was not enough,&rdquo; said Wale.
<h3>Sprint wins for Richardson and Kerley</h3>
Sha&rsquo;Carri Richardson continued her winning ways with a facile victory in the women&rsquo;s 200m, the 21-year-old US sprint sensation clocking 22.35 to beat Blessing Okagbare (22.59).
&ldquo;It was a good result for the conditions and the weather, the girls definitely gave me a good push,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I just continue to make a statement that nothing I do is a fluke, everything is legit, it comes from hard work for me and my coach. I wanted to shout out to world that my bark may be loud but my actions and my bite are even louder.&rdquo;
Richardson will return to the 100m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead on Sunday (23) where she faces Dina Asher-Smith and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
&ldquo;It definitely will be a race to make a statement, not just for myself,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Anyone that comes out on top will make a statement for the world to see.&rdquo; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/itskerrii?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itskerrii</a> ‼️ 22.35 for the American sprint sensation at <a href="https://twitter.com/ZlataTretra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZlataTretra</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ContinentalTourGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ContinentalTourGold</a> <a href="https://t.co/zHTTqdCFAX">pic.twitter.com/zHTTqdCFAX</a>
&mdash; Continental Tour Gold (@ContiTourGold) <a href="https://twitter.com/ContiTourGold/status/1395087951357415424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async=""></script>

 Kirani James was an impressive winner of the men&rsquo;s 400m, the 2012 Olympic champion clocking 44.74 ahead of runner-up Vernon Norwood (45.28). &ldquo;I still have some work to do, things we can improve,&rdquo; said James. &ldquo;The time was important but the main thing was to perform well and stay healthy.&rdquo;
Kenny Bednarek took victory in the men&rsquo;s 200m, clocking 19.93 (-0.6m/s) ahead of Fred Kerley, who was runner-up in 20.27 just 80 minutes after competing in the 100m. The shorter sprint ironically proved to be the better one for Kerley, a 400m specialist. He powered to victory in 9.96 (1.4m/s) ahead of Justin Gatlin (10.08) and Andre De Grasse (10.17).
&ldquo;I got two good runs here, I cannot complain,&rdquo; said Kerley. &ldquo;I can get ready for the 400 now. To run both was part of the training cycle.&rdquo;
<h3>Duplantis on top in rust-buster</h3>
Mondo Duplantis was off his best in the men&rsquo;s pole vault, but these days even that is typically good enough given his ability, and so it was tonight. The Swede&rsquo;s best clearance was his first-time effort at 5.90m, which ultimately gave him victory over Sam Kendricks who finished second with 5.85m. Duplantis went on to try 5.95m and 6.00m but was unsuccessful on a breezy night that was not ideal for vaulting.
&ldquo;It was my first meeting of the summer so I just needed to get the rust away,&rdquo; said world record-holder Duplantis. &ldquo;I had a bit of a problem with the running part and just could not feel my legs doing the job I needed. But it showed me I am in pretty good shape.&rdquo;
The touted head-to-head clash in the men&rsquo;s triple jump between Hugues Fabrice Zango and Christian Taylor never truly materialised, with Taylor exiting the competition after sustaining an injury in the fifth round. He had a best on the night of 16.36m. Zango took victory with his fourth-round effort of 17.20m.
Poland&rsquo;s Malwina Kopron produced a season&rsquo;s best to take victory in the women&rsquo;s hammer, throwing 74.74m in wet, windy conditions in the late afternoon.
&ldquo;The weather was great because the circle was faster after the rain and it suited me well,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I do not think I am in top shape yet but it should come just before the Olympics. I think it will be necessary to throw over 76 metres to get a medal in Tokyo.&rdquo;
France&rsquo;s Alexandra Tavernier was second with 73.30m, while two-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk was next best, the world record-holder throwing 72.72m.
Germany&rsquo;s Christin Hussong fared best in the women&rsquo;s javelin, her fourth-round effort of 66.56m carrying her to victory ahead of Czech Republic&rsquo;s Nikola Ogrodnikova (65.13m). World record-holder Barbora Spotakova finished fourth with a best of 59.49m.
Croatia&rsquo;s Filip Mihaljevic was best in the men&rsquo;s shot put, his 21.58m giving him victory over Poland&rsquo;s Michal Haratyk (21.30m). France&rsquo;s Augustin Bay took the long jump with 8.02m.
Turkey&rsquo;s Yasmani Copello was a comfortable winner of the men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist clocking 49.21. Britain&rsquo;s Jessie Knight broke her PB for the second time in four days when clocking 54.74 in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles, which handed her victory ahead of Ukraine&rsquo;s Anna Ryzhykova (55.09).
Cathal Dennehy for World Athletics

Johannes Vetter produced the standout performance among an all-star cast of talent at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, on Wednesday (19).

Vetter dominates with 94.20m throw in Ostrava

Four-time world hammer champions Anita Wlodarczyk and Pawel Fajdek are among the first star names confirmed for the Paavo Nurmi Games &ndash; a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting &ndash; in the Finnish city of Turku on 7-8 June.
When Wlodarczyk last competed at the Paavo Nurmi Games, she set a meeting record of 75.61m. Just one week later, however, she cut short her 2019 season due to injury and subsequently sat out the entire year in 2020.
Earlier this month, however, the two-time Olympic champion from Poland returned to action with an encouraging 73.87m at a low-key competition in Antalya. The 35-year-old is now ready to line up at top-flight competitions as she prepares to defend her Olympic title in Tokyo later this year.
Compatriot Fajdek will also be making a return appearance in Turku. He won in 2015, broke the meeting record with 81.12m in 2016 and extended it to 82.40m in 2017.
He will be joined in Turku by the three athletes with whom he shared the podium at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. Compatriot Wojciech Nowicki, who beat Fajdek in Turku in 2018, fellow world bronze medallist Bence Halasz of Hungary and world silver medallist Quentin Bigot are all set to compete.
World champion Daniel Stahl will contest the discus at the Paavo Nurmi Games for the third time. The Swedish thrower set a meeting record of 69.23m in Turku last year. He also had a throw that landed beyond the 70-metre line, but it was later ruled to be a foul after the referee analysed video footage of the performance.
Stahl will no doubt be keen to achieve a valid 70-metre throw in Turku next month when he lines up against 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius of Lithuania.
German javelin duo Johannes Vetter and Thomas R&ouml;hler also return. Vetter, the 2017 world champion, won in Turku last year with 91.49m, breaking the 91.28m meeting record that had been set in 2016 by Olympic champion R&ouml;hler.
Vetter, who last year produced the second-best throw in history with his 97.76m effort in Chorzow, has started 2021 in fine form, throwing 91.50m in Offenburg at the end of April.
In the women&rsquo;s triple jump, world indoor silver medallist Kimberly Williams of Jamaica takes on European champion Paraskevi Papahristou of Greece, while the men&rsquo;s 800m line-up includes world indoor champion Adam Kszczot, and European indoor medallists Mateusz Borkowski and Jamie Webb.
Organisers for World Athletics

Four-time world hammer champions Anita Wlodarczyk and Pawel Fajdek are among the first star names confirmed for the Paavo Nurmi Games – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in the Finnish city of Turku on 7-8 June.

Wlodarczyk leads strong throws cast for Turku

Fresh from his world-leading 91.50m throw in Offenburg on Saturday (24), Germany&rsquo;s 2017 world javelin champion Johannes Vetter has confirmed that he will compete at the 60th Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on 19 May.
"I have seldom felt as good after a competition as I did this time. That means the body has adapted well to the stresses and strains of training,&rdquo; said Vetter, who will hope for another strong performance in Ostrava in front of the meeting director and world javelin record-holder Jan Zelezny.
"I&rsquo;m very much looking forward to Ostrava and meeting Zelezny again.&rdquo;
Before heading to the Golden Spike, where he threw 87.88m on his only previous appearance at the event in 2017, Vetter will compete at the European Throwing Cup in Split.
Joining Vetter in Ostrava will be the USA&rsquo;s two-time world pole vault champion Sam Kendricks, who set the meeting record with 5.93m in 2019, and world 1500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot, who is entered for the 800m where he could challenge the meeting record of 1:43.24 set by Wilfred Bungei in 2003.
Poland&rsquo;s hammer great Anita Wlodarczyk is also confirmed as she continues her comeback after knee surgery.
Czech stars set to feature include Pavel Maslak in the 400m, Jakub Holusa and Filip Sasinek in the men&rsquo;s 1500m, Simona Vrzalova in the women&rsquo;s 1500m and Radek Juska in the long jump.
Discussions about the possibility of the event being able to welcome spectators are still being held.
Organisers for World Athletics

Fresh from his world-leading 91.50m throw in Offenburg on Saturday (24), Germany’s 2017 world javelin champion Johannes Vetter has confirmed that he will compete at the 60th Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting, part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series, on 19 May.

Vetter looks to build on strong start in Ostrava

In the latest in our mini-series tracking the journey of athletes from the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 through to the Tokyo Olympics, we focus on world javelin champion Kelsey-Lee Barber from Australia.
&nbsp;
Looking back to 2019, what does your World Championships success in Doha mean to you?
Kelsey-Lee Barber: Reflecting on that win means so much more to me following the break in competition in 2020. There was so much that went well in Doha that I can draw from. It really gives me fuel in the belly and I can&rsquo;t wait to be back out there competing for a gold medal in Tokyo later this year.
&nbsp;
Your last competition took place in Doha more than 15 months ago. What is the feeling like having not competed for so long?
KLB: It has certainly been unknown territory for me and no one could have predicted the emotional waves I have experienced. I&rsquo;ve definitely had my ups and downs, but I have to take the positives out of the situation. Covid has given me the chance to train uninterrupted and we&rsquo;ve been really lucky to be able to have done so in Australia, especially here in Canberra. The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) has done such a great job at keeping facilities open to athletes to continue daily training as normal. I am very thankful for that.
Having said that, there have been moments in the past 15 months which have been exceptionally challenging. European athletes were able to compete at a few meets here and there and this acted as a reminder that this is what I want to do and where I want to be.
&nbsp;
How has your life changed since becoming world champion?
KLB: In many regards not too much has changed, but what has most changed is the belief in my ability to perform at the highest level. I take that attitude into training every day. Before my win (in Doha) I always had a self-belief that I could always one day do it, but now that I have won gold I feel like there is a level (in training) that I don&rsquo;t let myself go below.
&nbsp;
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H8xsL7MAi4I" width="100%" height="450" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKXHkxbjMPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: full coverage of the women's javelin final at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019</a>
&nbsp;
Life in Australia changed very rapidly with lockdown last March. How did your life change in this period?
KLB: I was just a week away from the Brisbane Track Classic &ndash; which would have been my first comp of the year &ndash; then everything went very quickly into lockdown. Meets were cancelled, then states went into lockdown and then we went into lockdown off site at the AIS. We set up a home gym but the AIS were great in still giving athletes access to the track. I could go twice a week with my coach but with a maximum of only one athlete and one coach at any one time at the track.
The next big question was: what was going to happen with the Tokyo Olympics? It was hard to put in a lot of preparation and planning but when the decision made to postpone the Olympics this gave us a better sense of how we were going to approach the year. The original plan was to travel to Europe to do some comps but because of the pandemic, we made the decision from a health and safety perspective to stay at home.
&nbsp;
So what were your emotions with the Tokyo decision?
KLB: Initially, I very much supported that decision. Australia did not want to take a team to the Games by that point, so it was a relief when the decision was made. I then took two weeks off to allow myself to process the information. It was disappointing and frustrating coming off my World Championship success, I wanted to ride that wave and I had big goals. But this two-week period was important because it gave me the time to process that information.
&nbsp;
What specific areas did you work on developing in 2020?
KLB: I had quite a significant shoulder niggle going into the World Championships and one of the biggest pluses of 2020 is I did not have to rush the rehab process. I could take the time to get the shoulder right from a strength point of view and to get it ready for the stresses of throwing.
Also, we&rsquo;d normally be lucky to get in a six-week strength block at the end of the year but in 2020 I was able to get in a 12-week strength block &ndash; I&rsquo;ve never been able to do that before.
&nbsp;
Your husband, Mike, is also your coach. What challenges have you faced, particularly in 2020 with a period in lockdown?
KLB: I&rsquo;m really proud of the way we work together. People are so curious as to how we do it! I so respect Mike as my coach and what he brings to the table. In training mode we very much have an athlete-coach relationship. Then when we come home it is important to keep that for home life and not get too caught up in javelin. When these lines become blurred that&rsquo;s when it can become difficult. Yet some of our best discussions about javelin are when we go for a walk together in the evening of early morning. That is why we appreciate about our relationship. Athletics and javelin is a shared passion and we have some great conversations on the subject.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/e55d273d-a0aa-4bcd-91f2-eb02450bbd9e.jpg?cachebuster=edce1edc-5f58-4960-b9c9-18d1805f32fe" alt="" width="950" height="570" />
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2020 was a tough year for many athletes. Who have you leaned upon to help get you through this period?
KLB: I normally rely on a small inner circle of people but this year I&rsquo;ve expanded it to include some top athletes like Dani Stevens and Brooke Stratton and Matt Denny. We would meet for weekly Zoom chats with the Athletics Australia head coach Craig Hilliard. It was super helpful to hear how other athletes were going. If one of us was struggling with motivation, we were then able to draw motivation from each other.
&nbsp;
What are you competitive plans for 2021?
KLB: This is really exciting! I plan to compete in Canberra on 25 February and 11 March and then Brisbane on 27 March ahead of Aussie nationals in April. At the moment we&rsquo;ve only planned for the Australian season but later this year I would love to be able to compete in Europe ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
&nbsp;
What are you aiming for at the domestic meets?
KLB: To get a feel for competition again and to experience the competition routine. I hope to showcase what we have been doing in training and put my stamp on 2021.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/650799ae-f7e0-4712-b629-6881dc216114.jpg?cachebuster=9e72be32-1a8a-46ee-8ff0-ae1e064826b5" alt="" width="950" height="570" /> Kelsey-Lee Barber in action at the Diamond League meeting in London (&copy; Getty Images)
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What are your main aims for 2021?
KLB: A gold medal in Tokyo &ndash; that is what I&rsquo;ve been working towards for my entire career. I&rsquo;ve also yet to win a Diamond League and I would really like to end that.
&nbsp;
Looking back on 2020, what did it teach you as a person?
KLB: It reminded me it is okay to slow down a little! I love my lifestyle as an elite athlete but because I was forced into a year at home, I found enjoyment slowing down and reconnecting with a few hobbies such as cooking. I really enjoyed the chance to spend more time with family and friends. Last year taught me that it is important to have a better balance in life and we don&rsquo;t have to live out life at such a fast pace all the time.
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Steve Landells for World Athletics

In the latest in our mini-series tracking the journey of athletes from the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 through to the Tokyo Olympics, we focus on world javelin champion Kelsey-Lee Barber from Australia.