27th September 2013 11:00
“I shall be there,” were his words to Leichtathletik.de, uttered as a clear statement of intent after missing out on the 2012 European Athletics Championships because of an elbow injury.
Not only did his damaged left throwing elbow keep him out of the last European championships in Helsinki but it also ensured that his London Olympic campaign ended in disappointment with three fouls and not even a place in the final.
Then in May this year, after a promising fourth place in Doha with a throw of 81.49, the SC Magdeburg ace moved on to the Werfertage in Halle two weeks later where a second even more serious disaster struck from out of the blue.
On his fifth round throw he suffered a bad injury to the Achilles tendon in his right foot and his season was in tatters. All thoughts of travelling to Moscow to defend his World title from Daegu two years ago were turned to dust.
His coach, Ralf Wollbrück, was at a loss to explain the injury: “It is hard to say what caused it. It could have been the cold weather, but it happens so seldom because of that. We don’t really know why it happened. It is very regrettable.”
In contrast 2010 and 2011 were dream years for De Zordo. In the Barcelona European championships he made his big breakthrough onto the podium taking silver behind double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen.
In Daegu, he was to create a big upset by going one better to sit astride the world, fending off all comers to lift gold against more fancied rivals. But then came first the elbow and then the Achilles tendon to put a brake on his career.
“It was severe blow,” admitted the 25 year old. “But now I am thinking positive again. The healing process is not easy.” So far, healing has involved two weeks in plaster and then three months in a special walking shoes, which he has now dispensed with.
For a javelin thrower, this type of injury has implications for the muscles in the lower leg so it has been a gentle re-entry to the weights room.
At the moment the special machine he uses to rehabilitate the calf muscle is set at a modest 25kg: “This is hardly anywhere near what I am used to working with,” he said.
De Zordo does however follow a more or less complete weights regime for the rest of his body and the enforced rest has reinforced the healing process for his throwing elbow.
A return to throwing is not envisaged before December and even then only gentle efforts will be the order of the day. With the European championships taking place in mid-August De Zordo can enjoy a relaxed return to training: “My season will not begin until May, so there is plenty of time,” he said.
The young German’s career started to bear fruit in the European arena when at the age of 19 he lifted the European junior crown in Hengelo 2007. Now he is looking to re-launch it after inju