Andreas Thorkildsen

Javelin stars Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway and Petr Frydrych from Czech Republic will both be lining up on Friday as the 2011 Diamond League season gets underway in Doha, Qatar.

Thorkildsen, the reigning Olympic, world and European champion, first threw beyond 90m back in 2006 in Doha, is a four-time winner previously in the Qatari capital and feels set for the new season.

"My preparations have been going pretty much on schedule. I feel well prepared, no major injuries, no big problems," said Thorkildsen." We'll see tomorrow what happens but I feel pretty well prepared for the meet (in Doha) and the season."

"The first time I made 90 (metres) was here (in Doha) so, of course, that’s all good. I think it's a perfect place for javelin because of the temperature and everything, and there's less risk of injury that early in the year."

A big fan of the warmer climates, Thorkildsen escaped the northern winter late last year to train in San Diego, California and is more than comfortable being back in Doha.

"For me it's a great place to start and after the competition to hang out at the beach for a couple of days. It's a good little vacation."

"Whenever it starts to snow back home (Norway), I try not to be there."

Meanwhile, Frydrych is a rising star in the javelin world who threw 88.23m at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting last season which ended as the second-best mark of the year, but he could only manage 10th in the final of the 2010 European Championships.

A disc problem in his lower back marred his 2010 season, but he has been training recently in Potchefstroom in South Africa and is hopeful of starting the 2011 season well.

"There is a big question mark about the first competition, but last year there was a bigger question mark and my first throw was 84m, so I am less nervous than last year and I am looking forward to tomorrow (Friday)," said Frydrych.

With northerly winds and 38 degrees Celsius predicted for Friday's competition, Thorkildsen said there was potential for another 90m throw if they get to utilise a tailwind at the Qatar Sports Club.

"Hopefully if it is windy they put us on the right side of the track. If there's a lot of wind it can be a bad place to throw, but if there's a lot of wind and they put us on the other side (with tailwind), it's a great place to throw."

"Take an 85m (throw) and put a strong tailwind on it it can be 90m, and the opposite is about an 80m throw."

So, even though Doha's Diamond League event is the first major competition of the season, the right conditions could see some of the best marks of the year in men's javelin.

source: all-athletics.com