Jan Zelezny in Gothenburg (© Getty Images)
ago Jan Zelezny was one of many legends of our sport who generously donated items of World and Olympic athletics memorabilia to a charity auction held on behalf of the IAAF’s humanitarian project ‘Athletics for a Better World: The IAAF Stars’ Donation Fund’. Organized in aid of three United Nations organisations, FAO, UNICEF and WFP, his kind donation of an autographed competition javelin made US$794.15 for the fund.
The three-time World champion (1993/95/01) and Olympic champion (1992/96/00) without question the greatest javelin thrower in history, who retired at the end of this season is back in the auction market in an effort to raise money for youth athletes in Mlada Boleslav, the area of the Czech Republic which fostered his own talents as a boy.
Two months after he wrapped up his successful career Zelezny is offering the javelin he used at IAAF Super Grand Prix event in Doha, Qatar in May 2006, the signed competition vest/jersey with number from the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, and a pair of his specially made javelin boots.
When finishing his career in Mlada Boleslav at a meeting on 19 September especially organised for him – click here for link to report and career history – he announced that on his website, “we will organize an auction. I will put on it some stuff and the proceeds will be donated to athletes in Mlada Boleslav where I started my career.”
The auction which is organised by Jan Zelezny and his media partner on-line daily Aktualne.cz began yesterday, 5 December 2006, and can be accessed by clicking HERE
Zelezny‘s awesome career stretches back almost two decades, with no fewer than five World records and seven of the ten all-time best performances to his name. Zelezny was honoured as the World Athlete of the Year in 2000 and elected to the IOC Athletes’ Commission in Athens in 2004.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
