The 1972 DN Gala featured competitions over two days. On the first day, crowd favorite Ricky Bruch had struck with a huge discus throw. After extensive control measurements, it turned out to be a tangent to the world record: 68.40. The next day, heavy, threatening clouds hung ominously on the horizon near the stadium. The starting field was rather thin. Apart from Latvian Jānis Lūsis, there were only two other men in the spy competition – and they had to play the role of extras. In the 1968 Olympic season, Lūsis had set a world record of 91.98 and won gold in Mexico. He lost the record the following year to the Finn Jorma Kinnunen, who threw 92.70. Lūsis had shown top form a few days before the DN gala when he threw over 90 meters by a margin at Bislett in Oslo. But now it was something of a race against time. The warm-up looked promising – the throws made by Lūsis showed harmony and agility. But there was concern about the approaching storm. Would there be time to throw it before it broke loose? Then he went out on the track with his Swedish-made spear, a prototype of Sandvik Super Elite. The approach showed drive in the step, smooth return of the spear, quick insertion of the left foot and an outstanding perfection in the throw. The hit in the spear was absolutely clean and with an exit speed of almost 110 kilometers per hour, the spear sailed through the air and never seemed to want to land. This was at a time when the spear had an optimized aerodynamic design that, with the right technology, made the tool seem to sail on air. The tip dipped slightly on landing, but just enough for the throw to be accepted and it was clear that the audience had experienced something special. After the measurement was completed, the figures 93.80 appeared on the electric scoreboard on the inner field – another world record in javelin throwing was set at Stockholm Stadium! The cheers erupted but so did the thunder and rain. The stadium was completely submerged in water, precluding further throwing at world level. Lūsis dutifully made four more throws but now at a much more moderate level. Only in the last round did he get over 80 meters for the second time in the competition, but what did it matter, he had taken back the world record!
Jānis Lūsis had a very distinguished record when he retired. In addition to the two world records, he brought home Olympic medals of all denominations and four European Championship golds. His wife, Elvira Ozolina, was almost as successful as her husband and has her name on the list of world records in javelin – as well as gold medals at both the Olympics and the European Championships!
