Vadlejch imitated Olympic Tokyo with a bronze throw and made Weber sad again

Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch on August 27, 2023, at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he won bronze with a performance of 86.67 meters. Only Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra from India and Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan were better. It is the second medal for the Czech team after the mixed relay bronze from the first day of the championship.

Budapest – Javelin thrower Jakub Vadlejch won today's world bronze medal, similar to how he won the silver Olympic medal two years ago. He again sent his equipment to a distance of 86.67 meters and once again deprived the German Julian Weber of the medal position. He apologized to Tomo in the sector today, because he deprived him of a medal for the third time in a row. He himself was happy to win the precious metal, even if he didn't have his day.

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Vadlejch already has his fifth medal from a major event and has never thrown less than today's and Olympic performance. “It's actually great that all the five big medals I have are for 86.70 and over. I think historically there used to be medals for 82, 83 meters. It just means that the competitions are always very quality,” he praised in an interview with Czech journalists.

He expected the world finals in Budapest to be of high quality. And it was confirmed, gold Čopra threw 88.17, silver Aršad Nadím 87.82. “I had a little idea that Nadím would be well prepared. Niraj, that's a clear thing. On the other hand, 88.17, those are not such meters. But I just didn't have the top day today. But I'm all the more pleased, that I fought during that competition. I think Julian will not like me at all because I took his medal for the third time,” commented Jan Železný's protégé at the Budapest race.

He did not feel optimal, for a long time his attempts flew to 84 meters, which was not enough for the podium. In the fifth series, he was tied for fifth as he prepared for his throw. It was not easy for him to whip himself. “It's not easy at all, if it's not the day when it flies by itself. I'm very happy for that, that I was able to extract the next almost three meters from myself, and I jumped over the guys. Even in that last attempt, I struggled, but it wasn't there anymore,” he mused.

During his long career, he already has experience with such races. “Sometimes it really is. That it's good, but it's not that perfect. That's when the fight starts. And it's about whether the fight turns out well or badly. And I think it turned out very well.” he praised himself.

Olympic champion and newly minted world champion Niraj Chopra was also happy about his bronze. “He was really happy that I had a medal. He asked me after the race: 'How big were you?' I said third, and he hugged me normally. It's great, because I've been meeting those guys for years and they see that I'm balanced. The fact that it will pay off at the event is great,” Vadlejch said .

He had a lot of support from the fans, Czech flags dominated the stands near the javelin sector. “The audience was absolutely perfect. It was electrifying, a lot of Czechs. So I believe that I made a good day for them too. A lot of Czech fans then thanked me for a nice performance and I believe that I will please them again sometime in the future,” praised the thirty-two-year-old javelin thrower.

His wife Lucia was also in the audience. “I think there were some tears. It's something unreal that she's there. She's the only one who knows what I do for it. The shared joy is really the greatest,” Vadlejch rejoiced. And soon his one-year-old daughter Emma can begin to perceive his achievements. “I think that the little one will perceive in a year or so. I have to wait a few more years. I think that next year in Paris she might already have a little idea,” remarked Vadlejch.

In Paris she can be in a year to fight for the extension of the medal streak at major events that has lasted since Tokyo and today he added a fourth bead to it. And maybe win the first gold.