Javelin throw
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 gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.
History
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.
Throwing javelin-like poles into targets was revived in Germany and Sweden in the early 1870s. In Sweden, these poles developed into the modern javelin, and throwing them for distance became a common event there and in Finland in the 1880s. The rules continued to evolve over the next decades; originally, javelins were thrown with no run-up, and holding them by the grip at the center of gravity was not mandatory. Limited run-ups were introduced in the late 1890s, and soon developed into the modern unlimited run-up.[1]
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 Häckner, 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 Železný at 98.48 m (1996). Barbora Špotáková holds the women's world record at 72.28 m (2008).
Rules and competitions
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).
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 71⁄4 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
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 design 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 similar effect of feathers on an arrow. The javelin turns into the relative wind. Relative wind appears to originate from the ground as the javelin decends, thus the javelin turns to face the ground. As the javelin turns into the wind less lift is generated 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 Räty 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
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 and below
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. In those states that do allow high school javelin competition, a few specify that the tip must be of rubber. Further, in age group track meets in the U.S., and in particular with elementary-school children in the Northeast, the Turbojav—a smaller plastic implement with a rubber tip but with similar flying characteristics as a real javelin—is a popular alternative.
Culture
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.
All-time top ten (current models)
Men
- (Updated August 2015)
| Rank | Mark | Athlete | Place | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 98.48 |  Jan Železný (CZE) |
Jena | 25 May 1996 | |
| 2 | 93.09 |  Aki Parviainen (FIN) |
Kuortane | 26 June 1999 | |
| 3 | 92.72 |  Julius Yego (KEN) |
Beijing | 26 August 2015 | [11] |
| 4 | 92.61 |  Sergey Makarov (RUS) |
Sheffield | 30 June 2002 | |
| 5 | 92.60 |  Raymond Hecht (GER) |
Oslo | 21 July 1995 | |
| 6 | 91.69 |  Konstadinós Gatsioúdis (GRE) |
Kuortane | 24 June 2000 | |
| 7 | 91.59 |  Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) |
Oslo | 2 June 2006 | |
| 8 | 91.53 | Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) |
Kuortane | 26 June 2005 | |
| 9 | 91.46 |  Steve Backley (GBR) |
Auckland | 25 January 1992 | [12] |
| 10 | 91.29 |  Breaux Greer (USA) |
Indianapolis | 21 June 2007 |
Women
- (Updated August 2015)
| Rank | Mark | Athlete | Place | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72.28 | Barbora Špotáková (CZE) |
Stuttgart | 13 September 2008 | |
| 2 | 71.99 | Mariya Abakumova (RUS) |
Daegu | 2 September 2011 | |
| 3 | 71.70 |  Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) |
Helsinki | 14 August 2005 | |
| 4 | 70.20 | Christina Obergföll (GER) |
Munich | 23 June 2007 | |
| 5 | 69.48 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Oslo | 28 July 2000 | |
| 6 | 69.35 |  Sunette Viljoen (RSA) |
New York | 9 June 2012 | |
| 7 | 68.34 | Steffi Nerius (GER) |
Elstal | 31 August 2008 | |
| 8 | 67.69 | Katharina Molitor (GER) |
Beijing | 30 August 2015 | [13] |
| 9 | 67.67 | Sonia Bisset (CUB) |
Salamanca | 6 July 2005 | |
| 10 | 67.51 | Miréla Manjani (GRE) |
Sydney | 30 September 2000 |
Olympic medalists
Men
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Women
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Season's bests
As of 7 June 2015
Men
A new model was introduced in 1986, and all records started fresh. |
Women
A new model was introduced in 1999 and all records started fresh.
 Maria Abakumova 2011 World Athletics Championships |
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See also
Notes and references
- ↑ Jukola, Martti (1935). Huippu-urheilun historia (in Finnish). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
- ↑ IAAF Scoring Tables for Combined Events, p. 7.
- ↑ Vélez Blasco, Miguel. "Part III: Llançaments - Tema 12 Javelina" (pdf) (in Catalan). Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya / Federació Catalana d'Atletisme. Retrieved 21 April 2014.
- ↑ "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009." (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 559. Archived from the original (pdf) on November 23, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
- ↑ Bremicher, Erick. "Why did the senior javelin specification have to be changed?". Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Pentti Saarikosk
- ↑ "Physics: Javelin Designs, what’s the significance? - World of Javelin". worldofjavelin.com.
- ↑ http://www.usatf.org/groups/officials/files/resources/field-events/officiating-the-throws-usatf-monograph.pdf
- ↑ http://www.cifss.org/admin/images/history_corner/32footballthrowintrack.pdf
- ↑ http://www.cifss.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/46grenadethrow.pdf
- ↑ "Javelin Throw Results". IAAF. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ↑ British Athletics. "British Athletics Official WebsiteSteve Backley". britishathletics.org.uk.
- ↑ "Women's Javelin Throw Results". IAAF. 30 August 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Javelin throw. |
- IAAF list of javelin-throw records in XML
- (IAAF Statement) – statement of reasons to modify the javelin design
- Masters World Rankings
- IAAF competition rules
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