Jolanda Ceplak Struck by Javelin at Greek Meet by Bob Ramsak (c) 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved July 11, 2006
LJUBLJANA,
Slovenia - Jolanda Ceplak, the Olympic 800m bronze medallist, narrowly
escaped serious injury when she was struck by a javelin while warming
up prior to a race in Patras, Greece, yesterday.
The 29-year-old
Slovenian, who holds the world indoor record at 800m, received just
minor injuries when the spear struck her elbow, but was very shaken
from the incident.
"I was warming up on the grass when I felt
something him me very hard on the elbow, and fell to the ground from
the pain," Ceplak told the Slovenian Press Agency, STA. "Then I saw the
javelin lying there next to me, and I just froze." Ceplak skipped the
rest of her 30 minute warm-up --"I spent most of that time crying," she
said-- and went on to compete in the race, finishing second to
Bulgarian Teodora Kolarova (2:01.24) in 2:01.80.
Ceplak said
that the competitors in the men's javelin throw were warming up at the
same time, and that the strong winds in the stadium forced the spear to
sail in her direction. "I saw the thrower and he too was very shaken,
probably more than I was."
After lingering Achilles tendon
problems cut her 2005 season short, Ceplak underwent surgery last
October and returned to competition in her specialty in Velenje,
Slovenia, last month with a 2:01.83 victory.
"Obviously I didn't warm up properly, but my foot felt fine throughout the race," she said. "The rest I'd rather forget."
Ceplak,
the reigning European Champion, will race next at the Borotalco Golden
Gala Golden League meeting in Rome on Friday. The strong field includes
world champion Zuliya Calatayud of Cuba, Olympic silver medallist Hasna
Benhassi of Morocco, world indoor and Commonwealth silver medallist
Kenia Sinclair of Jamaica, and Russian 1500m star Yelena Soboleva.
