Chorzów (Poland) (AFP)
The German Johannes Vetter achieved a feat at the meeting in Chorzow (Poland) on Sunday by throwing his javelin to 97.76 m, the second best performance in history.
World champion in 2017, world bronze medalist last summer in Doha (Qatar), Vetter (27) came within a meter of the seemingly unbeatable world record of Czech legend Jan Zelezny, who launched at 98.48m in May 1996.
"I don't really know what to say, in javelin there are little details that allow you to make very good throws, when everything fits perfectly," he explained.
"With a headwind I could have gone much further, maybe close to 100m, but I think I showed that you can also throw very far in a closed stadium like this."
Johannes Vetter improves his personal best with this historic jet of more than three meters.
The third best pitcher in history, his compatriot Olympic champion Thomas Röhler, is relegated to almost four meters (93.90 m in 2017).
Fit man for the season, the 4th at the Rio Olympics in 2016 had already thrown 91.49 m on August 11 in Turku (Finland).
After his winning throw on the 3rd try on Sunday, he even allowed himself to throw 94.84m on the 4th try, the 6th best performance in history ...
Author of an exceptional 2017 season (world champion, a throw at 94.44 m), Johannes Vetter had seen his progress slowed down over the past two years by a persistent injury to the left ankle - a piece of bone moving freely - requiring injections before each competition.
Operated four days after the Doha Worlds (3rd) last October, the German resumed training at the end of November to reach this exceptional state of form this summer.
It will launch again on Tuesday in Dessau (Germany) then on Sunday, September 13 in Berlin.
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