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Johannes Vetter is all set to conquer new territory in men's javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics, starting on July 23.
The 28-year-old javelin thrower from Offenburg, Germany, is aiming to break the 100m barrier in the sport of javelin throw. He has a personal best of 97.76m, recorded in September 2020 in Poland. The world record is currently held by Jan Zelezny who threw 98.48m all the way back in 1996.
The 2017 world champion in men’s javelin throw has crossed the 90m-mark seven times this season and hurled the javelin 28 times over 90m in the last two seasons. He is also the favorite to win a gold medal in Japan. During global media interaction (where Sportskeeda was part of a select panel), Johannes spoke about life beyond the throwing arena.
Here are a few excerpts from the interaction:
Q. With the Olympic Games around the corner, what is your main focus?
A. The primary focus is to stay healthy. Recovery is another important aspect of training in the coming days. I’m taking each day at a time and moving on.
Q Any specific plans for the Tokyo Olympics?
A. Right now, I’m focusing on recovery. The javelin throw competition starts August 4. When I reach Olympic Games Village then I will focus on the qualification and the next step would be final that is on August 7.
Q. Is it possible to break the 100m barrier in Tokyo?
A. There should be ideal conditions like good weather to break the 100m barrier in javelin. I hope it will happen this year.
Q. Being an elite athlete do you follow any special diet?
A. Nothing special. I like to eat healthy food. Lots of minerals and nutritious food. I like meat, fish and salad. Whatever is best for you to stay healthy.
Q. How do you celebrate your victory?
A. It all depends on my performance. If it’s a good throw then a couple of beers. Otherwise, one or two beers is okay.
Q. At what age did you start athletics?
A. I started at the age of six. Initially, it was running, jumping and throwing. But at 13-14 javelin was the main event I practiced. But in my formative years I also played soccer and handball. I still play soccer in my free time.
Q. You are an elected member of parliament in Offenburg. When were you elected and what role do you have to play?
A. I was elected during the 2019 Offenburg Parliament elections. Being a professional athlete, my goal is to improve sports in Offenburg, particularly at the kindergarten level. I’m working in that direction.
Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2021: Johannes Vetter and other favourites to win men's javelin gold
Q. Post retirement from sports, do you plan to join politics?
A. My basic aim is to stay healthy and fit. I want to compete at the highest level for many more years. At the moment I’m not sure whether I will be joining politics after I quit international sports.
Q. Post the 2017 World Championships gold medal you had to endure lots of things in personal life, could you tell us a little about that?
A. Yeah. The period between 2017 to 2018 was very challenging for me. My mom fell sick and passed away in 2018. Then during the domestic national meet, I sprained my ankle.
Q. Following ankle surgery in 2019 how did you make a comeback?
A. Lot of hard work. Patience to endure injury. That’s all I would say. But I’m happy to recover and achieve good fitness this season. I've crossed 90m-mark seven successive times this season and that's the best thing to happen in life.
Q. Is there a phenomenon of churning out javelin throw champions in Germany?
A. Right now there is just one guy who can hurl a javelin to a distance of 90m in Germany. That’s me. And there aren’t good guys at the youth level.
Q. So what is the secret of your success?
A. I attribute my success to a good coaching system in Germany. The coaches discuss ways and means to improve and things are working in the right direction for me.
Q. Why did you decide to choose Boris Obergfoil as your coach?
A. It took a long time for me to study the details of my coach. After thorough study I decided Boris Obergfoil was the right man because he had been a good professional athlete in early 2000. The coach has to understand the needs of his athletes.
Q. When did you shift to Offenburg?
A. In 2014 I shifted from Dresden to Offenburg. It has been seven long fruitful years with Boris Obergfoil. He is my idol and a father figure to me.
Q. How often do you practice on a specific javelin throw machine?
A. Working on a specific javelin throw machine is just one aspect of training. We use the machine for two to three weeks in a year. Javelin is an individual event and there are several other aspects of training like agility, strength and speed.
