Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's Hammer Throw at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics (© Getty Images)
In his latest IAAF Diary installment, Slovenia’s Primož Kozmus, who followed up his Olympic Hammer Throw gold last year with a World title last month, talks about the competition at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium and the subsequent celebration at his hometown in Brežice.
[NB: Kozmus wrote this prior to his world-leading 81.77m throw in Zagreb on Monday 31-Aug and his subsequent world-leading 82.58m throw in Celje, Slovenia, on Wednesday 2-Sep, breaking his own national record.]
“17 August seems to be my lucky date! After gaining the Olympic title last year I succeeded in repeating the story of success at the World Championships in Berlin on the exact same date. I must admit that despite injuries and not very promising results this season I was quite convinced that I could win a medal. With my optimistic predictions I again raised expectations before the World championships in my country, being the only serious Slovenian candidate for the victory stand.
“The qualifications went smoothly and I qualified for the final with my first attempt. However, my results, and also those of my competitors, were probably the first sign that this year the Hammer Throw distances would not be spectacular.
“I was very excited and couldn’t wait for the finals and I was looking forward to a bitter and harsh fight, especially with the unbeatable Hungarian Pars, who had an excellent season and won 18 times in a row. But still, in the end, there was actually no one among the throwers with such results that would prove he could outdo his competitors comfortably and easily. This, I was sure, would make the competition exciting until the final throw.
“But the lack of an absolute favorite proved to be very tricky. With the competition so even, all of the finalists had fairly realistic hopes for a medal, so, everybody was more nervous and put under even more pressure and high expectations. And this was exactly the opportunity where my advantages could come to light. I am known to be a calm and psychologically very stable athlete, achieving that with regular work with my biotherapist Marjan Ogorevc, who also coached my coach, Vlado Kevo. I can claim it is very hard to distract me from not achieving my utmost when I need to. I strongly believe that an athlete is in his best shape when he’s not only physically in top form, but also when his mental condition reaches its peak. You can only achieve as much as you truly believe you can.
“And so, there I was, ready to ‘defend’ my Olympic title. I don’t know what exactly happened with Krisztian (Pars), but he was not himself. He fouled a few times and finished only fourth. I must say I felt sorry for him, because his previous results proved he well deserved a medal. But this is sport, constant ups and downs, and I’m convinced a bright future is awaiting him as well, as he is young, strong and in my opinion, still one of the best hammer throwers at the moment.
“As for me, I could hardly believe that already my third throw below 80 metres sufficed for gold! In my last two attempts I then achieved my season’s best, preventing the competition from having the lowest winning mark in history. The last round was psychologically very demanding for me, since the last Championships from Osaka, where Ivan Tikhon took gold from me in the very last round, is still very much alive in my head. But, no Tikhon this time!
“When Szymon Ziolkowski, the last competitor that could beat me, threw less than 80, I felt the kind of relief that I’ve only felt very few times in my life. The last and best attempt was for my faithful fans that created a great atmosphere at the stadium. This year, more than thirty of them came to support me in Berlin, and – trust my word – the celebration after the victory was unforgettable precisely because of them!
“The home receptions upon my comeback to Slovenia proved that history repeats. The locals in my hometown prepared a warm celebration for the third time in a row, blocking the main square for traffic where thousands of people gathered. All cheering, shouting my name, creating an unforgettable party and even calling the 19th of August, the date when the celebration took place for the second year in a row, a new local holiday of joy. This year I wanted to share my joy with the ones who came to see me and who support me for years –the crowd below the podium. So I mingled into the crowd after the ceremony and spent the night celebrating with locals, family and friends.
“There are few advantages that the title of Olympic and World champion brings to the life of an individual, despite what the majority of people would believe. But this celebration that gathered the young and the old, children, mothers and grandfathers, and creating an evening or two, when they can gather to celebrate and forget their daily concerns and problems, was certainly one such advantage. Bringing unforgettable moments and an experience I will cherish forever.
Lep pozdrav,
Primož
[NB: Kozmus wrote this prior to his world-leading 81.77m throw in Zagreb on Monday 31-Aug and his subsequent world-leading 82.58m throw in Celje, Slovenia, on Wednesday 2-Sep, breaking his own national record.]
“17 August seems to be my lucky date! After gaining the Olympic title last year I succeeded in repeating the story of success at the World Championships in Berlin on the exact same date. I must admit that despite injuries and not very promising results this season I was quite convinced that I could win a medal. With my optimistic predictions I again raised expectations before the World championships in my country, being the only serious Slovenian candidate for the victory stand.
“The qualifications went smoothly and I qualified for the final with my first attempt. However, my results, and also those of my competitors, were probably the first sign that this year the Hammer Throw distances would not be spectacular.
“I was very excited and couldn’t wait for the finals and I was looking forward to a bitter and harsh fight, especially with the unbeatable Hungarian Pars, who had an excellent season and won 18 times in a row. But still, in the end, there was actually no one among the throwers with such results that would prove he could outdo his competitors comfortably and easily. This, I was sure, would make the competition exciting until the final throw.
“But the lack of an absolute favorite proved to be very tricky. With the competition so even, all of the finalists had fairly realistic hopes for a medal, so, everybody was more nervous and put under even more pressure and high expectations. And this was exactly the opportunity where my advantages could come to light. I am known to be a calm and psychologically very stable athlete, achieving that with regular work with my biotherapist Marjan Ogorevc, who also coached my coach, Vlado Kevo. I can claim it is very hard to distract me from not achieving my utmost when I need to. I strongly believe that an athlete is in his best shape when he’s not only physically in top form, but also when his mental condition reaches its peak. You can only achieve as much as you truly believe you can.
“And so, there I was, ready to ‘defend’ my Olympic title. I don’t know what exactly happened with Krisztian (Pars), but he was not himself. He fouled a few times and finished only fourth. I must say I felt sorry for him, because his previous results proved he well deserved a medal. But this is sport, constant ups and downs, and I’m convinced a bright future is awaiting him as well, as he is young, strong and in my opinion, still one of the best hammer throwers at the moment.
“As for me, I could hardly believe that already my third throw below 80 metres sufficed for gold! In my last two attempts I then achieved my season’s best, preventing the competition from having the lowest winning mark in history. The last round was psychologically very demanding for me, since the last Championships from Osaka, where Ivan Tikhon took gold from me in the very last round, is still very much alive in my head. But, no Tikhon this time!
“When Szymon Ziolkowski, the last competitor that could beat me, threw less than 80, I felt the kind of relief that I’ve only felt very few times in my life. The last and best attempt was for my faithful fans that created a great atmosphere at the stadium. This year, more than thirty of them came to support me in Berlin, and – trust my word – the celebration after the victory was unforgettable precisely because of them!
“The home receptions upon my comeback to Slovenia proved that history repeats. The locals in my hometown prepared a warm celebration for the third time in a row, blocking the main square for traffic where thousands of people gathered. All cheering, shouting my name, creating an unforgettable party and even calling the 19th of August, the date when the celebration took place for the second year in a row, a new local holiday of joy. This year I wanted to share my joy with the ones who came to see me and who support me for years –the crowd below the podium. So I mingled into the crowd after the ceremony and spent the night celebrating with locals, family and friends.
“There are few advantages that the title of Olympic and World champion brings to the life of an individual, despite what the majority of people would believe. But this celebration that gathered the young and the old, children, mothers and grandfathers, and creating an evening or two, when they can gather to celebrate and forget their daily concerns and problems, was certainly one such advantage. Bringing unforgettable moments and an experience I will cherish forever.
Lep pozdrav,
Primož
