Preview: Veteran Zelezny eyes Euro-title at last

By John Bagratuni Aug 8, 2006, 8:44 GMT

Gothenburg, Sweden - Seasoned Czech javelin thrower Jan Zelezny and Belgian sprint princess Kim Gevaert seek their first European championship titles on Wednesday.

Zelezny comes to his fifth and final career Euro event at age 40 before retiring after the season and turning his attention to coaching.

He has three Olympic golds and three world titles, but never succeeded in Europe where the now retired Briton Steve Backley took the last four titles in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.

'It is special to be still around. You never know. I will see tomorrow what will my body tell me. I will try and risk in the finals,' vowed Zelezny.

He added that 'any medal would be success' fully aware that Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildson only underlined his status as top favourite by dominating Monday's qualifying round with 86.55 metres. Zelezny had 80.60m.

Gevaert, 28, leads the continent's 100m rankings with 11.04 seconds and is the top favourite to give Belgium a first-ever women's title and the country a first success overall since Karel Lismond won the marathon in 1971.

But the 2002 runner-up is well aware that others like Swedish stars Carolina Kluft and Kajsa Bergqvist have much more exposure than her in Gothenburg, even if she gets a 100m and 200m double as tipped by many.

'Kajsa and Carolina are the queens, I am just the little princess,' Gevaert said modestly. 'But it would be a big honour to win, it would sound good to be the fastest woman in Europe.'

Gavaert's task is made considerably easier as the 2002 winner Ekaterini Thanou of Greece is serving a doping ban, French 1998 winner Christine Arron is injured and Olympic champion Yuliya Nesterenko of Belarus isn't in top form. The next best European runner this year is Russian Yuliya Gushchina with 11.13 seconds.

Wednesday sees a total eight finals starting with the women's 20km walk where Belarussian Ryta Turava seeks first place in the absence of title holder Olimpiada Ivanova.

France could rule the men's 400m and 1,500m, as Leslie Djhone and Marc Raquil are leading the quarter-milers' season list and defending champion Mehdi Baala will give it all he has to beat favoured world indoor champion Ivan Heshko of Ukraine.

Hosts Sweden will root for season-leading Olympic champion Stefan Holm in the men's high jump, while Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia is the overwhelming women's triple jump favourite and Greek Olympic champion Fani Halkia has re-emerged to become top pick in the women's 400m hurdles.