Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia competes in the men's Hammer Throw final (© Getty Images)
Both qualifying and final of the men’s Hammer Throw fell on the same days as last year at the Olympics in Beijing, 15th and 17th August, all of which turned out to be a good omen for gold medallist, Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia.
In Beijing, he collected his country’s first Olympic gold and now he has emulated that feat by pocketing Slovenia’s first World gold. How did he feel about that? “Of course it is a good feeling to win Slovenia’s first gold medal at the World championships. But it is a bit early to talk about it. It is a kind of shock. But yes, it is a perfect day for me and for the country.”
If anyone has absorbed the news better, it is his family who he spoke to after he had won. “Oh, they are all delighted and right now they are having a big party,” he said. And from the look on his face when he said it, they will probably still be partying on Wednesday when he arrives home.
He was as surprised as anyone that world leader, Kristian Pars of Hungary, was not amongst the medallists, but he was not complaining. “I was expecting Kristian to be there fighting for gold but it was not his day,” he said. “It was a strange competition because I expected him to do better.”
Three years ago, Kozmus was not the sort of sportsman to be recognised in the street. After Beijing that all changed and now it will presumably increase. “It is not a big problem in Slovenia, it is not such a big country, but yes now I am recognised in the street. But people are polite, they don’t create a big fuss, they just ask for a photograph and things like that. Nobody really bothers me, there is not that much pressure.”
In any case, Kozmus does not spend too much time at home. He has two training camps in Croatia, Medulin and Bielolasica, and when he is not there he is competing or even in South Africa where he was this winter when he picked up a strange injury when he tried a 40m sprint against his manager. His manager, Uros Zager, won as Kozmuz retired injured, but he does not normally include sprinting in his schedules.
Although he joked about it now, draped in the Slovenian flag after the winner’s press conference, the thigh tear could have ended his World championship hopes. He was initially told it would need three months of rest to recover, but two weeks of intensive therapy from his physio, Khalid Nasif, saved his season and the gold medal.
A normal training day includes about 30 throws after he has warmed up. If he does weight lifting, it is restricted to the snatch where, depending on the technique, he will lift 150kg.
In the past he has complained about not being heavy enough for his discipline, and in fact he was dwarfed by the silver and bronze medallists, Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland and Aleksey Zagornyi of Russia. But he is less worried about his weight now: “Now I am getting older,” commented the 29-year-old. “It is not such a problem. I seem to be putting on weight with age.”
And when he is not competing, what does he do? “Well, it’s actually really difficult when you are a sportsman. It is a hard life and I don’t really have any time off, but when I am truly free and on vacation with my friends, I go sailing off the coast of Croatia.”
In contrast with his coach, who appeared to be suffering enormously in the stands of the Berlin Olympic stadium with each round that passed, Kozmuz looked cool and collected and it was no false impression. “Yes, it’s true. I was more relaxed than in Beijing. It is never easy to win gold, but it was easier for me personally to go out there and get the best out of myself. I guess Beijing made me more confident of my ability.”
Michael Butcher for the IAAF
In Beijing, he collected his country’s first Olympic gold and now he has emulated that feat by pocketing Slovenia’s first World gold. How did he feel about that? “Of course it is a good feeling to win Slovenia’s first gold medal at the World championships. But it is a bit early to talk about it. It is a kind of shock. But yes, it is a perfect day for me and for the country.”
If anyone has absorbed the news better, it is his family who he spoke to after he had won. “Oh, they are all delighted and right now they are having a big party,” he said. And from the look on his face when he said it, they will probably still be partying on Wednesday when he arrives home.
He was as surprised as anyone that world leader, Kristian Pars of Hungary, was not amongst the medallists, but he was not complaining. “I was expecting Kristian to be there fighting for gold but it was not his day,” he said. “It was a strange competition because I expected him to do better.”
Three years ago, Kozmus was not the sort of sportsman to be recognised in the street. After Beijing that all changed and now it will presumably increase. “It is not a big problem in Slovenia, it is not such a big country, but yes now I am recognised in the street. But people are polite, they don’t create a big fuss, they just ask for a photograph and things like that. Nobody really bothers me, there is not that much pressure.”
In any case, Kozmus does not spend too much time at home. He has two training camps in Croatia, Medulin and Bielolasica, and when he is not there he is competing or even in South Africa where he was this winter when he picked up a strange injury when he tried a 40m sprint against his manager. His manager, Uros Zager, won as Kozmuz retired injured, but he does not normally include sprinting in his schedules.
Although he joked about it now, draped in the Slovenian flag after the winner’s press conference, the thigh tear could have ended his World championship hopes. He was initially told it would need three months of rest to recover, but two weeks of intensive therapy from his physio, Khalid Nasif, saved his season and the gold medal.
A normal training day includes about 30 throws after he has warmed up. If he does weight lifting, it is restricted to the snatch where, depending on the technique, he will lift 150kg.
In the past he has complained about not being heavy enough for his discipline, and in fact he was dwarfed by the silver and bronze medallists, Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland and Aleksey Zagornyi of Russia. But he is less worried about his weight now: “Now I am getting older,” commented the 29-year-old. “It is not such a problem. I seem to be putting on weight with age.”
And when he is not competing, what does he do? “Well, it’s actually really difficult when you are a sportsman. It is a hard life and I don’t really have any time off, but when I am truly free and on vacation with my friends, I go sailing off the coast of Croatia.”
In contrast with his coach, who appeared to be suffering enormously in the stands of the Berlin Olympic stadium with each round that passed, Kozmuz looked cool and collected and it was no false impression. “Yes, it’s true. I was more relaxed than in Beijing. It is never easy to win gold, but it was easier for me personally to go out there and get the best out of myself. I guess Beijing made me more confident of my ability.”
Michael Butcher for the IAAF
