Parviainen convincing winner in Golden Javelin Chris Turner for the IAAF 20 May 2001- The Golden Javelin meet held in Vantaa, Finland this evening was badly affected by appallingly weather conditions. Battling against cold, wind and rain which Juha Laukkanen who finished fourth with 75.05 metres described was "like throwing into a wall", Finnish World champion Aki Parviainen with a throw of 84.13 metres convincingly beat World record holder and three time Olympic champion Jan Zelezny who could only muster a best of 82.83m. Despite the weather affecting the competition the victory was clearly a great boost for Parviainen who commented - "Yes the weather made things very difficult and that accounts for the low distances thrown today. However this is a great psychological victory for me. As to my new technique it still is not yet perfected". Zelezny was as mystified as anyone by his poor form but was not prepared to blame the weather - "I don't know why I was so technically bad today I just can't understand it. I am in good shape and the weather conditions were not a problem for me". Selected RESULTS - 1st. Parviainen (FIN) 84.13m 2nd. Zelezny (CZE) 82.83m 3rd. Matti Narhi (FIN) 81.79m 4th. Juha Laukkanen (FIN) 75.05m. 18/05/2001 PREVIEW - ZELEZNY FACES PARVIAINEN IN THE "GOLDEN JAVELIN" The annual "Golden Javelin" meet which takes place this Sunday May 20th in the Silva Stadium in the Finnish city of Vantaa, will play host to three time Olympic javelin champion Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic and Finland's reigning World champion Aki Parviainen, the two most consistent 90 metre throwers in 2000. Last year's meeting witnessed a classic battle between Parviainen and Kostas Gatsioudis of Greece resulting in a home win for the Finn with a fine 90.80 metre throw to the Greek's best of 87.93m, and was one of three contests in which Parviainen exceeded 90 metres last season. However despite such form, Parviainen's fortunes when up against World record holder Jan Zelezny were mixed. While he beat Zelezny in Kuortane (90.97m to 87.80m) the great Czech had the Finn's measure when it mattered most, surpassing Parviainen's 90m season tally with four competitions of his own over that mark, including the 90.17m with which he won the Sydney Olympic final. Parviainen could only finish fifth in Sydney (86.62m) and is eager to re-establish the world supremacy which he briefly held during the 1999 season when he became World champion. He switched coaches last year and is now under the charge of the much respected Leo Pusa who trained both Tapio Korjus (88) and Heli Rantanen (96) to Olympic titles. This winter under Pusa's guidance Parviainen has made some subtle modifications to his technique resulting in his last cross steps being quicker and more aggressive. Parviainen who has just returned from a very good training camp in Portugal two or three weeks ago is now ready to face Zelezny. The "Golden Javelin" will also be a turning point for Zelezny, as during the winter he was signed up by a Finnish club under an exclusive sponsorship deal with the Finnish firm "Jippii!". As such Zelezny will be competing regularly in the "home of the javelin" - the Asics Helsinki Grand Prix, 14th June (IAAF GP11), Kuortane 17th June and the Javelin Carnival Festival on 1st July - prior to the Edmonton World Championships. As Iiro Vuorela the head of "Jippii!" jokingly said when he signed Zelezny this winter "when you can't beat someone, then you purchase them"! Also competing in the "Golden Javelin" on Sunday will be much of the cream of Finnish throwing including World junior recordholder Harri Haatainen (PB 86.10m), Matti Narhi (PB 88.24m) and Juha Laukkanen (PB 88.22m). ENDS.