Primož Kozmus wins Olympic hammer gold with 82.02m and a series of six throws over 80 metres (© Getty Images)
By winning the Olympic Hammer Throw title Primoz Kozmus wrote sports history for Slovenian athletics.
The small country, which became independent in 1992 and then had athletes competing in the Olympics for the first time in 1996, had never produced an Olympic athletics champion. Before this evening there were two medals in Slovenia’s athletics history: In 1996 Brigita Bukovec took silver in the 100m hurdles and eight years later Jolanda Ceplak was third in the 800m final. So Kozmus has now completed the set of medals with his gold.
“This is a dream come true, of course I am very happy,” said the 28-year-old, who could well become the country’s new sports hero after his Olympic triumph.
“I expected to win a medal when entering the competition but I couldn’t expect gold since the other throwers are so strong as well – I could only hope to win.”
“Slovenia is a small nation, so all the people know what was going on here. I expect that there will be quite some party, when I came back. In my hometown there had been celebrations already last year when I had won a silver medal at the World Championships. So this will probably be bigger now, when I return with the Olympic gold,” said Kozmus, who lives in Brezice. This is near Novo Mesto, where he competes for local club Krka.
Not happy with technique despite great series
With a tremendous series of six throws beyond the 80m mark the world silver medallist from Osaka 2007 secured his second major medal in Beijing. Opening with 80.75m he continued with 82.02m, 80.79m, 80.64m, 80.98m and 80.85m. This truely is a fine series, but watching Kozmus’s reactions just after each of his throws were released and before the hammer hit the turf, one had the impression that he could have been struggling to make 77m, not the 80m+ where they were actually descending. In fact he turned away in anger after most of his throws – especially at the second, which turned out to be the winning one! Normally an Olympic Champion looks different.
“That is true, but I was really not happy with my technique, although I still managed to put together a fine series. The problem is the final part of my throw when releasing the hammer. I had difficulties with this all season so far,” said Kozmus.
Kozmus did not expect that 82.02m would be enough for gold. That was the reason why he reacted so angrily about not throwing even better.
“I thought I would need 83 metres at least for gold. And I expected Ivan Tikhon to throw this at some stage during the competition,” explained Kozmus.
No last round shock this time
The Slovenian had been very unlucky a year ago at the World Championships in Osaka, when he led into the last round. Then Tikhon produced more than 83m at his last attempt and snatched the gold.
“I did not want this to happen again, that was why I was very nervous,” said Primoz Kozmus. “But he cannot do this to me every time – beating me in the last round.” Belarus’ Tikhon finally took the bronze with 81.51m behind his fellow countryman Vadim Devyatovskiy (81.61).
When his opponents had their last throws Kozmus looked as if he was warming up for a walking event, covering quite some distances in the infield zone.
“I was very nervous during the last round,” said the new Olympic champion, who turned away when Devyatovskiy had his last throw, but glanced at the video screen. When Devyatovskiy’s hammer hit against the cage, he started celebrating. “I said, thank you Vadim.”
“Primoz is a very strong thrower and he deserved to win the Olympic gold tonight. I had hoped for 83 metres, but it was not possible,” said Devyatovskiy.
High jumping start
While Kozmus did some, walking in the stadium he later explained that he once started athletics as a high jumper.
“I was a junior and much slimmer than today. My weight was only 68 kilos (compared to 106 today) at that time and I managed to jump 1.84 metres.”
Later he came to the Hammer Throw because his sister did this event. Simona Kozmus threw a Slovenian record of 58.60m back in 2001, while Primoz is of course also the national record holder. “I watched her throwing the hammer and then tried it myself.”
Jörg Wenig for the IAAF
