Springtime is approaching quickly. Big meetings are waiting around the corner. Athletes are making their final preparations before the big shows and the big summit of the year: WC in Berlin.
Javelinthrowing has been – and still is – an important part of my life. Not so much my own personal efforts - although I took the Swedish M60 title last year – but much more seeing todays throwers.
In the beginning of April, double Olympic Champion, Andreas Thorkildsen together with his coah Åsmund Martinsen visited me in my hometown Karlstad. We made some videorecordings and biomechanical analysis. I can assure you that the forecoming season will be interesting! When achieving his second OG-title he was using a Nordic-javelin – that made me even happier! Berlin: here he comes!
Every year in May, I use to go to Halle in Germany. Hallesche Werfertage is something spectacular. Rainer Rietschel & Co produces a splendid throwing week-end covering all the way from young talents to world class athletes. Prticipants from appr. 30 nations. A Mecca for the throwers. Not only that. It is a meeting-point for former top-throwers, coaches and supporters. I cry a little bit this year since I have to, temporarily, brake my tradition. The Swedish relay championships are organized in my hometown the very same days, and the club of my heart has appointed me technical manager - that´s a call of duty. But I will surely send some of my students from the Sport School in Karlstad. And if you will be in Halle: take a close look at 19-year old hammer thrower Markus Johansson – that´s a good advice!
Swedish track & field have had an outstanding decade. We have been spoiled with medals from all kind of championships. Now we are facing a reality their quite a lot of our super-Stars have retired, switched focus or are being hampered by injuries. Still we have some pretenders who are having potential to reach very high level. At the European indoors Johan Wissman was clearly superior in the 400 meters. Not attending the Torino-championships but still a young man with splendid capability is decathlete Nicklas Wiberg. The former European juniorchampion scored 8040 last year, but I think he will be ready for something big in London 2012. Great av javelin and in the 1500 meters – but the pole vault…… I hope he will be dedicated enough to give the vaulting a big priority in his training – that will be the key to success!
And after all, I am worried. Deeply worried. Stockholm Olympic Stadium – the classical arena where the games of the fifth Olympiad were held in 1912. The scene of Eric Lemmings forth Olympic victory, the venue, where the very first by IAAF approved world record in javelin. And the arena that has hosted the highest number of official world records in the whole universe. The arena where one of the very best track & field galas is organized: the DN-gala. One of the IAAF Super Grand Prix and from 2010 on one of the distinguished twelve: The Diamond League. Not only bad rumours – as I first thought – but a serious investigation has been made by the town of Stockholm, to rebuild the Stadium – to make it a clean soccer-stadium………without track & field facilites!!! I still hope it´s only a bad dream.
Yours in javelin
