In a big boost for the likes of Neeraj Chopra, the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has recommended the name of famous German Uwe Hohn as the javelin throw coach.
The name of 54-year-old Hohn, who is the only athlete to throw a javelin more than 100 meters, with a one-time world record of 104.80m set in 1984, has been sent to the Sports Ministry for clearance by the AFI.
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“We have recommended the name of Uwe Hohn as javelin coach. We are expecting the ministry to approve his appointment very soon,” a top AFI official told PTI .
The German was roped in after Australian javelin throw expert Garry Calvert quit the job earlier this month. Hohn’s other great performance was a throw of 96.96m recorded during the 1985 IAAF Continental Cup in Canberra. He missed the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games due to East Germany boycott.
He has been a professional coach since 1999. His world record throw was, however, taken out of the record books after the IAAF decided to officially modify the javelin with aerodynamically unfavourable flight characteristics. His amazing effort had come before these changes.
The current javelin world record (98.48m) is in the name of Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic set in 1996.
Among others, Hohn has guided China’s national champion and Asian record holder Zhao Qinggang.
Two Indian javelin throwers — Neeraj Chopra and Devinder Singh — have qualified for the IAAF World Championships in August in London.
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