It's a bit shocking to realize that despite his multiple Olympic and World titles, Jan Zelezny never won an European title, only being able to win bronze at the 1994 and 2006 European Championships, especially since the great majority of Zelezny's rivals were European as well, so therefore the competition at the men's javelin at the European Championships back then pretty much overlapped with the ones at Olympics and World Championships. (That 2006 European bronze was still very impressive coming at the very end of Zelezny's career at age 40.)
I remember everyone jokingly taking the piss out of Steve Backley always being edged out by Jan Železný on They Think It's All Over. "Železný's English is so bad that he only knows three words. "Bad luck Steve!"" When Steve Backley said that he had a back garden that was 300 yards long he was told that Jan Železný had a back garden that was 301 yards long. Steve Backley said that he went to a party he was told that Jan Železný went to a slightly better party.
@Onewayticket-147 I know. Backley was brilliant & is unlucky that Jan Železný happened to be around at the same time. I was just commenting on his appearance on the show. He took it all in good spirit. He even gave it back when Andy Parsons said that Jan Železný went to a slightly better party. Steve replied to him with, "And he was slightly more funny than you."
