At the age of 18, Ralf Jaros made his international debut in the 1984 Olympic Games. He finished in the seventeenth position in the qualification round. In the 1985 season, he finished fourth in the European Indoor Championships with a distance of 16.78 meters (55 ft 1 in), and sixth in the World Indoor Games with a distance of 16.61 meters (54 ft 6 in). Knee injuries prevented Jaros from taking part in international competition for some years following these events.