In August 2021, which was full of glory and surprises, the long river of Olympic history was ignited again! This time it was the final of the men's javelin event of the Tokyo Olympic Games, and the young warrior Niraj Chopura from the mysterious ancient country of India sweated and successfully won the gold medal with an amazing 87.58 meters, realizing his personal and the entire Indian nation's dream of being a 100-meter flyer!
At the end of the match, Chopra's heart was filled with emotion, and he couldn't wait to express his deep gratitude to the coach who had been with him for many years.
It turned out that the coach who worked quietly was none other than the javelin legend of the 80s, Germany's Uwe Horn.
Going back 36 years, Horn set an eye-popping world record of 104.80m at the Olympic Day Athletics Championships, a record that no one can surpass even today.
Every moment of that race is still as clear as it was yesterday, but for Horn himself, there is always an indelible regret in his sporting career – that is, not being able to compete in an official Olympic competition.
On the eve of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, East Germany decided to join the Soviet Union in boycotting the event, and Horn, who was training in the GDR, lost the opportunity to appear on the Olympic stage.
Four years later, the rapid rise of domestic competitors kept him out of the Olympics.
After two Olympic skies, Horn reluctantly announced his retirement at the age of 26.
As the years passed, Horn didn't really leave his beloved sport of javelin, but instead turned around and became a coach and began to develop new javelin talent. Chopra was one of his most prominent disciples.
Under Horn's careful cultivation, this young man from India finally realized his Olympic dream of 100 meters, standing next to Horn, Chopra, and fulfilled the old coach's dream of gold medal coaching with his brilliant achievements.
It was July 1984, in Berlin, GDR. On that scorching summer day, 22-year-old Uwe Horn ushered in the pinnacle of his athletic career.
At the 22nd Olympic Day Athletics Championships held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Horn won the men's javelin gold medal with an astonishing score of 105.80m, while breaking the world record of 99.72m, which had stood in the dust for nearly five years.
This throw not only achieved his first personal 100-meter breakthrough, but also made the world remember his name. Since the age of 13, Horn has been known for his hard work, honing his basic skills, keeping a tight pace of life and dedicating himself to every javelin throw.
On that day, the bright and dazzling East German flag fluttered over the main venue, and Horn finally ushered in the glorious moment of his long hard training! The moment the javelin hit the ground, the measuring instrument clearly displayed a string of numbers - 104.80 meters, which was not only a heavy gold medal, but also the perfect response to Horn's hard work over the years.
Standing on the podium, with the solemn national anthem ringing in his ears, Horn's eyes flashed with tears of excitement. At the moment, he recalls his first grip on the javelin at the age of 13, the joy of winning his first major major title at the age of 17, and the ecstasy of winning the European Championships at the age of 20.
All the hard work and dedication are shining in this shocking 100-meter miracle.
For Uwe Horn, the age of 13 was undoubtedly a pivotal point in his life, and it was then that he embarked on a journey to javelin training and thus became a professional athlete.
When he first got involved in this path, the monotonous and boring basic training made the young Horn feel very tormented, but he always stood firm in his belief and gritted his teeth to persevere.
Born of a deep love in his heart, Horn has never wavered in his dedication to the sport of javelin. In his opinion, only by constantly honing his skills can he make a name for himself in the future arena.
In the years that followed, Horn enjoyed a number of successes in various junior categories, notably when he won the European Youth Championship at the age of 17, and everyone witnessed the rising star of tomorrow.
What really made Horn famous in the senior category was the European Championship at the age of 20. In front of many experienced players from all over the world, the East German "young man" won the championship with his outstanding performance.
Since then, Horn's name has shone like a star and has become the center of attention in the sports world.
In order to go all out to prepare for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Horn set even more stringent demands on himself. He was in control of his own routines and eating habits, and at the same time spent a lot of time training, pondering every movement and detail, and finally stepped into the Olympic arena with confidence.
However, fate dealt Horn a heavy blow in 1984. Just as he was in the prime of his sporting career and preparing to compete at his best in Los Angeles, a sudden political storm ruthlessly shattered his Olympic dreams.
That same year, the Soviet-dominated socialist camp boycotted the Games, and its close alliance partner, East Germany, also did not send any athletes to the event.
For Horn at that time, it was his long-term unremitting dream to be able to show his style on the stage of this world-renowned national competition, however, the god of fate failed to favor him, and he deeply regretted that in the face of the country's major decisions, he could only choose to bear silently and patiently wait for the next Olympic Games in four years.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it is the day of the 1988 Olympic East German trials. However, unexpectedly, Horn unexpectedly lost the election.
This time, he was ruthlessly squeezed out of the flight to Seoul by his fellow juniors, and watching the once familiar national flag flutter in front of his eyes again, the 26-year-old finally realized that his dream of an Olympic gold medal had become out of reach, so he resolutely announced his retirement from the national team, officially announcing the end of his sports career.
With golden youth streaked across the sky like a shooting star, Horn had to come to terms with the harsh reality that he was not destined to have an Olympic summer full of glory.
Once upon a time, every time he stepped on the field, he had a clear goal in mind, but now, deep down, he can only miss the Olympic stage that has not yet arrived.
After retiring from the national team, Horn did not give up on his beloved javelin project. He turned to coaching and devoted himself to the discovery and development of javelin talents.
Among the many outstanding students, the most dazzling was India's Neeraj Chopura, who went on to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Years ago, when Chopra stepped into the training ground with a javelin in hand, Horn's eyes were drawn to the young man from India.
After a period of in-depth understanding, Horn soon discovered that Chopra was born with excellent javelin talent, so he did not hesitate to do his best to train this proud protégé, under the careful guidance of Horn, Chopra's javelin skills were perfected day by day, and finally achieved a historic breakthrough in Indian javelin at the Tokyo Olympics When he saw the student on the top podium, Horn's heart surged with endless joy and pride, which is not only Chopra's personal honor, but also the reward of the old coach's hard work.
In fact, for quite some time, Horn has been an unrivaled legend in the field of the project. However, his only regret is that he has never been able to show his true strength on the Olympic stage.
As time passed, the years gradually stained his face, however, what is exciting is that the new stars of the javelin he cultivated shine on the broader stage!