Backley is denied

Steve Backley's best chance of winning an Olympic gold medal might be Jan Zelezny's wife. For the third consecutive Games the Czech Republic javelin thrower denied the Briton the title he covets above all else here in Stadium Australia last night.

Backley was once again forced to settle for the silver medal. It was his third medal in the Olympics following his bronze in Barcelona in 1992 and silver in Atlanta four years ago - when Zelezny had taken the gold on each occasion. One more title would match the incredible achievement of the discus thrower Al Oerter, who won a record four golds between 1956 and 1968.

'But I won't be carrying on until Athens in 2004,' the 34-year-old Zelezny said. 'My wife would kill me.'

If it were not for Zelezny, Backley might now be closing in on Steve Redgrave's record of five consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Zelezny, world champion in 1993 and 1995 and the world record holder, is the first competitor, either man or woman, to win three Olympic javelin golds.

This, however, was the hardest won of all Zelezny's titles. The former colonel in the Czech Army had to battle against a raft of back and shoulder injuries in recent seasons and then came up against an inspired Backley.

The 31-year-old from Kent set an Olympic record of 89.85 metres with his second-round throw only to see Zelezny respond in the next round with a massive effort of 90.17m to take the gold. It was the furthest anyone has thrown to win a major title.

The two friends embraced each other after the competition, which had kept the huge crowd on tenterhooks right to the end. Zelezny had been expected to retire after he missed the 1998 season with a serious injury but, against all the odds, made a successful comeback last year by winning a bronze in the world championships.

Zelezny's success was all the more remarkable considering his problems with a nagging rib injury in the run-up to the Games that stopped him training properly in August. 'I could successfully apply for a pension as an invalid,' he said.

Backley has been just as dogged by injury as Zelezny in recent years and his medal chances had looked slim as he entered the competition ranked only seventh on the world list after an indifferent season by his high standards.

But Britain's former world record holder produced the goods when it mattered most, even though he was to lose by 32 centimetres. Victory would have secured a place in athletics history alongside the likes of Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Lynn Davies as one of Britain's greatest ever champions.

'It's not if I've always been second,' said Backley. 'I've got three European golds. Fingers crossed I'd like to win the Olympics before I finish.

'I was just hoping I would pull it off here. I've been there before against him, and it's never going to be enough. When he threw 89 in the first round I knew that. I stood there waiting for it to happen.

'On my last three throws I felt expended. All my energy was draining, and I felt really flat. Jan knew I how I felt and said sorry. But I knew I really had a chance - it was the longest competition in my life.

'Now I'll go away and sleep well. I performed the best I could. It's as if I've had my day. It's happened too many times, and I've just got to keep telling myself I can do it.'

Zelezny, who tried out as a pitcher with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball after winning in that city four years ago, has turned in the five best throws in history, including the world record of 98.48m set in 1996 in Jena.

'Jan's a great competitor and any time it becomes tough he can respond to pressure,' Backley said. 'When I've trained with him it's been the same. If I'm beating him - throwing the shot, whatever - he'll come back.'

Backley has broken the world record three times but still rated last night's throw as one of his best. 'The throw was definitely up there. It's the biggest throw I've had since my knee operation last year. In terms of optimum I couldn't have asked myself for more.'

A call to Mrs Zelezny might be in order, then.