(Javelin)

Jan Zelezny confirmed his status as the best javelin thrower of all time when he smashed the Olympic record to claim his third consecutive gold in Sydney last year.

Zelezny's spectacular return to the top came on the back of a shoulder injury which had wrecked his 1998 season and saw him lose his World Championship title and number one spot.

The 35-year-old Czech needed every ounce of his revered mental strength to overcome old rival Steve Backley who himself broke the Olympic record in the same final.

It was the second time in succession that Zelezny had denied his friend an Olympic gold and the pair square up again in Edmonton with Backley hoping to finally break his jinx.

Weighing just 77 kilos, Zelezny is incredibly slight for a javelin thrower and puts his success down to technique and temperament.

``The most important thing in javelin is technique and the mental situation. Good mental strength can add 40 per cent to the success,'' he says.

It certainly added a few metres to Zelezny's throw. He has broken the world record five times and his current best of 98.48 is unlikely to be surpassed in the near future.

However, this year promises to be a tough battle with a high-quality field set to gather in what should be a highly-competitive event.