Backley to train with Zelezny, Freeman
with Tellez
British javelin champion Steve
Backley has announced that he will be flying to South Africa to
train with world record holder and arch-rival Jan Zelezny in the
build up to this year's European Championships and Commonwealth
Games.
Backley said in an interview with AFP that he had telephoned
Zelezny and asked if he could join his training group and that
Zelezny had, to his surprise accepted. "I think that Jan is
losing motivation in the sport..... he said that he saw me as a
friend batting from the same corner and doesn't want to see
Germany dominating the event in the future."
Meanwhile, Australia's first aboriginal world champion, Cathy
Freeman has announced that she will train with Carl Lewis' coach
Tom Tellez. She said that advice from Tellez had already
radically improved her style, giving her much greater confidence
in the 400 metres. Freeman won the 400m event in Athens in August
with a time of 49.77
Tellez had been invited by the Australian Federation to work with
their athletes during a two week period after the Christmas
holiday. He has apparently extended an invitation to Australian
athletes who wish to do so to train in his centre in Houston in
agreement with Athletics Australia, although no formal agreement
has been announced.
