Javelin throw

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Bregje Crolla during Europacup 2007

World Athletics Championships 2007 in Osaka - German javelin thrower Stephan Steding

The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in
length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gainsmomentum by running within a predetermined area.
Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.

History[edit]
The javelin was part of the pentathlon of the Ancient Olympic Games beginning in 708 BC, in two
disciplines, distance and target throw. The javelin was thrown with the aid of a thong,
called ankyle wound around the middle of the shaft. Athletes would hold the javelin by the thong and
when the javelin was released this thong unwound giving the javelin a spiraled flight.

As an Olympic discipline, the javelin throw was introduced in the 1906 Intercalated Games for men,
and in the 1932 Summer Olympics for women. It has been included in the decathlon since its
introduction in 1912; the all-around, an earlier form of the decathlon held at the 1904 Summer
Olympics, did not include the javelin throw.[2]
Of the 69 Olympic medals that have been awarded in the men's javelin, 32 have gone to competitors
from Norway, Sweden or Finland. Finland is the only nation to have ever swept the medals at a
currently recognized official Olympics, and has done so twice, in 1920 and 1932. (However, Sweden
swept the first four places at the 1906 Intercalated Games. Finland's 1920 sweep also featured an
additional fourth-place finish. Sweeping the first four places is no longer possible, as only three
entrants per country are allowed.) In 1912 Finland also swept the medals in the only appearance in
the Olympics of two-handed javelin, an event in which the implement was separately thrown with
both the right hand and the left hand and the marks were added together. Quite popular in Finland
and Sweden at the time, this event soon faded into obscurity, together with similar variations of the
shot and the discus; Sweden's Yngve Hckner, with his total of 114.28 m from 1917, was the last
official world record holder.[3]
The first official world record in the men's javelin throw was recognised by the International
Association of Athletics Federations in 1912.[4] Over time, distances thrown progressed significantly,
and the 100 m mark was passed by Uwe Hohn in 1984. As a response to the increasingly frequent
flat or ambiguously flat landings, experiments with modified javelins started in the early 1980s; the
resulting new designs, which made flat landings much less common and reduced the distances
thrown, became official for men starting in April 1986 and for women in April 1999, and the world
records were reset.[5] The current (as of 2015) men's world record is held by Jan elezn at 98.48 m
(1996). Barbora potkov holds the women's world record at 72.28 m (2008).

Rules and competitions[edit]

The size, shape, minimum weight, and center of gravity of the javelin are all defined
by IAAF rules. In international competition, men throw a javelin between 2.6 and 2.7 m (8 ft 6 in
and 8 ft 10 in) in length and 800 g (28 oz) in weight, and women throw a javelin between 2.2 and
2.3 m (7 ft 3 in and 7 ft 7 in) in length and 600 g (21 oz) in weight. The javelin has a grip, about
150 mm (5.9 in) wide, made of cord and located at the javelin's center of gravity (0.9 to 1.06 m
(2 ft 11 in to 3 ft 6 in) from the javelin tip for the men's javelin and 0.8 to 0.92 m (2 ft 7 in to 3 ft
0 in) from the javelin tip for the women's javelin).

Matti Jrvinen throwing the javelin at the 1932 Olympics

Unlike the other throwing events (shotput, discus, and hammer), the technique used to throw the
javelin is dictated by IAAF rules and "non-orthodox" techniques are not permitted. The javelin
must be held at its grip and thrown overhand, over the athlete's shoulder or upper arm. Further,
the athlete is prohibited from turning completely around such that his back faces the direction of
throw. In practice, this prevents athletes from attempting to spin and hurl the javelin sidearm in
the style of a discus throw. This rule was put in place when a group of athletes began
experimenting with a spin technique referred to as "free style. On October 24, 1956, Pentti
Saarikoski threw 99.25 m (325 ft 714 in)[6] using the technique holding the end of the javelin.
Officials were so afraid of the out of control nature of the technique that the practice was banned
through these rule specifications.
Instead of being confined to a circle, javelin throwers have a runway 4 m (13 ft) wide and at least
30 m (98 ft) in length, ending in a curved arc from which their throw will be measured; athletes
typically use this distance to gain momentum in a "run-up" to their throw. Like the other
throwing events, the competitor may not leave the throwing area (the runway) until after the
implement lands. The need to come to a stop behind the throwing arc limits both how close the
athlete can come to the line before the release as well as the maximum speed achieved at the time
of release.
The javelin is thrown towards a "sector" covering an angle of 28.96 degrees extending outwards
from the arc at the end of the runway. A throw is legal only if the tip of the javelin lands within
this sector, and the tip strikes the ground before any other part of the javelin. The distance of the
throw is measured from the throwing arc to the point where the tip of the javelin landed, rounded
down to the nearest centimeter.

Competition rules are similar to other throwing events: a round consists of one attempt by each
competitor in turn, and competitions typically consist of three to six rounds. The competitor with
the longest single legal throw (over all rounds) is the winner; in the case of a tie the competitors'
second-longest throws are also considered. Competitions involving large numbers of athletes
sometimes use a "cut": all competitors compete in the first three rounds, but only athletes who
are currently among the top eight or have achieved some minimum distances are permitted to
attempt to improve on their distance in additional rounds (typically three).

Javelin redesigns[edit]

A Bulgarian javelin thrower, 1934

On 1 April 1986, the men's javelin (800 grams (1.76 lb)) was redesigned by the governing body
(the IAAF Technical Committee). They decided to change the rules for javelin construction
because of the increasingly frequent flat landings and the resulting discussions and protests when
these attempts were declared valid or invalid by competition judges. The world record had also
crept up to a potentially dangerous level, 104.80 m (343.8 ft) by Uwe Hohn. With throws
exceeding 100 meters, it was becoming difficult to safely stage the competition within the
confines of a stadium infield. The javelin was redesigned so that the centre of gravity was moved
4 cm (1.6 in) forward, while the surface areas in front of and behind the centre of gravity were
reduced and increased, respectively. This had the effect of reducing lift and increasing the
downward pitching moment. This brings the nose down earlier, reducing the flight distance by
around 10% but also causing the javelin to stick in the ground more consistently. In 1999, the
women's javelin (600 grams (1.32 lb)) was similarly redesigned.[7]
Modifications that manufacturers made to recover some of the lost distance, by increasing tail
drag (using holes, rough paint or dimples), were forbidden at the end of 1991 and marks made
using implements with such modifications removed from the record books. Seppo Rty had
achieved a world record of 96.96 m (318.1 ft) in 1991 with such a design, but this record was
nullified.

Technique and training[edit]

Unlike other throwing events, javelin allows the competitor to build speed over a considerable
distance. In addition to the core and upper body strength necessary to deliver the implement,
javelin throwers benefit from the agility and athleticism typically associated with running and
jumping events. Thus, the athletes share more physical characteristics with sprinters than with
others, although they still need the skill of heavier throwing athletes.
Traditional free-weight training is often used by javelin throwers. Metal-rod exercises and
resistance band exercises can be used to train a similar action to the javelin throw to increase
power and intensity. Without proper strength and flexibility, throwers can become extremely
injury prone, especially in the shoulder and elbow. Core stability can help in the transference of
physical power and force from the ground through the body to the javelin. Stretching and sprint
training are used to enhance the speed of the athlete at the point of release, and subsequently, the
speed of the javelin. At release, a javelin can reach speeds approaching 113 km/h (70 mph).

US High School[edit]
Due to the fear of liability, the javelin throw is not an event in NFHS high school competition in
36 states, though USATF youth competitions for the same aged athletes do hold javelin
competitions.[8] At various points in time, high schools have attempted to create substitute events,
including the softball throw, football throw[9] and the grenade throw,[10]throwing different objects
under rules similar to javelin throw rules.

Culture[edit]

10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics commemorative coin

Javelin throwers have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the
recent samples is the 5 Finnish 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics commemorative
coin, minted in 2005 to commemorate the 2005 World Championships in Athletics. On the

obverse of the coin, a javelin thrower is depicted. On the reverse, legs of hurdle runners with
the Helsinki Olympic Stadium tower in the background can be seen.

A women's and a men's javelin

All-time top ten (current models)[edit]

See also: Men's javelin throw world record progression and Women's javelin throw
world record progression

Men[edit]

(Updated August 2015)

Ran
k

Mar
k

Athlete

98.48

Jan elezn (CZE)

93.09

Aki Parviainen (FIN)

92.72

Julius Yego (KEN)

92.61

92.60

91.69

91.59

Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR)

91.53

Tero Pitkmki (FIN)

Place

Date

Jena

25 May 1996

Kuortane

26 June 1999

Beijing

26 August
2015

Sergey Makarov (RUS)

Sheffield

30 June 2002

Raymond Hecht (GER)

Oslo

21 July 1995

Kuortane

24 June 2000

Oslo

2 June 2006

Kuortane

26 June 2005

Konstadins
Gatsiodis (GRE)

Re
f

[11]

Ran
k

Mar
k

Athlete

Place

Date

91.46

Steve Backley (GBR)

Auckland

25 January
1992

10

91.29

Breaux Greer (USA)

Indianapoli
s

21 June 2007

Re
f

[12]

Women[edit]

(Updated August 2015)

Rank

Mark

Athlete

Place

Date

72.28

Barbora potkov (CZE)

Stuttgart

13 September 2008

71.99

Mariya Abakumova (RUS)

Daegu

2 September 2011

71.70

Osleidys Menndez (CUB)

Helsinki

14 August 2005

70.20

Christina Obergfll (GER)

Munich

23 June 2007

69.48

Trine Hattestad (NOR)

Oslo

28 July 2000

69.35

Sunette Viljoen (RSA)

New York

9 June 2012

68.34

Steffi Nerius (GER)

Elstal

31 August 2008

67.69

Katharina Molitor (GER)

Beijing

30 August 2015

Ref

[13]

Rank

Mark

Athlete

67.67

Sonia Bisset (CUB)

10

67.51

Mirla Manjani (GRE)

Place

Salamanca

Sydney

Date

6 July 2005

30 September 2000

Ref