Roman Sebrle - 2004 Olympic Games Decathlon, High Jump spikes (© IAAF)
Olympic champion and World record holder Roman Sebrle has donated his 2004 Olympic High Jump spikes to IAAF’s Athletics for a Better World
30-year-old Decathlon World record holder Roman Sebrle of Czech Republic has donated his 2004 Olympic gold medal winning High Jump spikes to the IAAF for its charity initiative ‘Athletics for a Better World’.
In 2001, Sebrle became the first decathlete to exceed 9000 points with the current scoring tables, setting five personal bests in the process. His total of 9026 points erased the mark of compatriot’s Tomas Dvorak whose World record of 8994 points had stood since 1999.
The silver medallist at the 2000 Olympic Games, and the 2003 & 2005 World Championships, Roman Sebrle has donated the spikes he wore on 23 August 2004 in the High Jump of the Olympic Decathlon in which he cleared a personal best of 2.12m (915 points), which contributed significantly to his Olympic record, and gold medal winning total of 8893 points by the end of the final day (24) in Athens.
“I am very proud to be part of this initiative,” said Sebrle who is also the reigning European champion. “After my Olympic win I met many children in our country and I know how important it is for them. I know that many people and mainly children are suffering on our planet, and if I can help somehow in this way, I‘m happy to do it…not only now but also in the future.”
Sebrle’s spikes will be auctioned and all profits made will be donated to the United Nations Associations: FAO, UNICEF and WFP.
IAAF
