Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games:

The gold and silver medalists from Atlanta, Ján Železný and Steve Backley, were the favorites. Backley had won the last three European Championships, while Železný was, well, … Železný, considered the greatest javelin thrower ever. The Czech led the qualifiers with 89.39 (293-3¼). In the final he opened with 89.41 (293-4¼) to lead round one. Backley went ahead in the second round with 89.85 (294-9½) but Železný clinched the gold medal in the third round with 90.17 (295-10). Backley threw poorly after his best throw, fouling three times, and hitting only 80.99 (265-8¾) in the fourth round. It was Železný’s third consecutive gold medal, and fourth consecutive medal, in the event.