Javelin throw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 meters in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.
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[edit] Rules and Competitions
The size, shape, minimum weight, and center of gravity of the javelin implement itself are all defined by IAAF rules. In international competition, men throw a javelin between 2.6 and 2.7 meters in length and (at least) 800 grams in weight, and women throw a javelin between 2.2 and 2.3 meters in length and (at least) 600 grams in weight. The javelin is equipped with a grip, approximately 150 mm wide, made of cord and located at the javelin's center of gravity (0.9 to 1.06 meters or 0.8 to 0.92 meters from the tip of the javelin for men's and women's implements, respectively).
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. Instead of being confined to a circle, javelin throwers are provided with a runway 4 meters wide and at least 30 meters 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 29 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 distance are permitted to attempt to improve on their distance in additional rounds (typically three).
[edit] Javelin redesigns
On April 1, 1986, the men's javelin (800g, 1.76lb) 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 javelin was redesigned so that the centre of gravity was moved 4 cm forward, further away from the center of pressure (the point at which the aerodynamic forces of lift and drag act), so that the javelin had an increased 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 (600g, 1.32lb) was similarly redesigned.
Modifications that manufacturers made to recover some of the lost distance, by increasing tail drag (using holes, rough paint or dimples), were outlawed at the end of 1991 and marks made using implements with such modifications removed from the record books.
[edit] History and the javelin at the Olympics
The javelin throw has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1906. Although the javelin is currently used only for sport in most areas, it has a long history of use for hunting and warfare. There are, for instance, numerous references to the javelin in ancient Hellenic civilization, who practised a form of javelin throwing at the ancient Olympics. Some people believe that the objective was to throw at a target rather than for distance, but this can not be determined.[citation needed]
The javelin throw has a particularly strong tradition in the Nordic nations of Europe. Of the 66 Olympic medals that have been awarded in the event, 30 have gone to competitors from Norway, Sweden, or Finland. Finland is the only nation to have ever swept the medals, and has done so twice, in 1920 and 1932.
[edit] 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 other, 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. 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).
[edit] Best year performance
[edit] Men's seasons best
| YEAR | DISTANCE | ATHLETE | PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 90.68 |  Jānis Lūsis (URS) |
Helsinki |
| 1972 | 93.80 | Jānis Lūsis (URS) |
Stockholm |
| 1973 | 94.08 |  Klaus Wolfermann (FRG) |
Leverkusen |
| 1974 | 89.58 |  Hannu Siitonen (FIN) |
Rome |
| 1975 | 91.38 |  Miklós Németh (HUN) |
Budapest |
| 1976 | 94.58 | Miklós Németh (HUN) |
Montreal |
| 1977 | 94.10 | Miklós Németh (HUN) |
Stockholm |
| 1978 | 94.22 | Michael Wessing (FRG) |
Oslo |
| 1979 | 93.84 | Pentti Sinersaari (FIN) |
Auckland |
| 1980 | 96.72 | Ferenc Paragi (HUN) |
Tata |
| 1981 | 92.48 |  Detlef Michel (GDR) |
Berlin |
| 1982 | 95.80 |  Bob Roggy (USA) |
Stuttgart |
| 1983 | 99.72 | Tom Petranoff (USA) |
Westwood |
| 1984 | 104.80 | Uwe Hohn (GDR) |
Berlin |
| 1985 | 96.96 | Uwe Hohn (GDR) |
Canberra |
A new model was introduced in 1986, and all records started fresh.
| YEAR | DISTANCE | ATHLETE | PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 85.74 | Klaus Tafelmeier (FRG) |
Como |
| 1987 | 87.66 |  Jan Železný (TCH) |
Nitra |
| 1988 | 86.88 | Jan Železný (TCH) |
Leverkusen |
| 1989 | 87.60 |  Kazuhiro Mizoguchi (JPN) |
San José |
| 1990 | 89.58 |  Steve Backley (GBR) |
Stockholm |
| 1991 | 89.16 | Tom Petranoff (USA) |
Potchefstroom |
| 1992 | 91.46 | Steve Backley (GBR) |
Auckland |
| 1993 | 95.66 |  Jan Železný (CZE) |
Sheffield |
| 1994 | 91.82 | Jan Železný (CZE) |
Sheffield |
| 1995 | 92.60 | Raymond Hecht (GER) |
Oslo |
| 1996 | 98.48 (WR) | Jan Železný (CZE) |
Jena |
| 1997 | 94.02 | Jan Železný (CZE) |
Stellenbosch |
| 1998 | 90.88 | Aki Parviainen (FIN) |
Tartu |
| 1999 | 93.09 | Aki Parviainen (FIN) |
Kuortane |
| 2000 | 91.69 |  Konstadinós Gatsioúdis (GRE) |
Kuortane |
| 2001 | 92.80 | Jan Železný (CZE) |
Edmonton |
| 2002 | 92.61 |  Sergey Makarov (RUS) |
Sheffield |
| 2003 | 90.11 | Sergey Makarov (RUS) |
Dessau |
| 2004 | 87.73 | Aleksandr Ivanov (RUS) |
Ostrava |
| 2005 | 91.53 | Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) |
Kuortane |
| 2006 | 91.59 |  Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) |
Oslo |
| 2007 | 91.29 | Breaux Greer (USA) |
Indianapolis |
| 2008 | 90.57 (OR) | Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) |
Beijing |
[edit] Women's seasons best
| YEAR | DISTANCE | ATHLETE | PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 70.08 | Tatyana Biryulina (URS) |
Podolsk |
| 1981 | 71.88 |  Antoaneta Todorova (BUL) |
Zagreb |
| 1982 | 74.20 | Sofia Sakorafa (GRE) |
Hania |
| 1983 | 74.76 | Tiina Lillak (FIN) |
Tampere |
| 1984 | 74.72 | Petra Felke (GDR) |
Celje |
| 1985 | 75.40 | Petra Felke (GDR) |
Schwerin |
| 1986 | 77.44 | Fatima Whitbread (GBR) |
Stuttgart |
| 1987 | 78.90 | Petra Felke (GDR) |
Leipzig |
| 1988 | 80.00 | Petra Felke (GDR) |
Potsdam |
| 1989 | 76.88 | Petra Felke (GDR) |
Macerata |
| 1990 | 73.08 | Petra Felke (GER) |
Manaus |
| 1991 | 71.44 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Fana |
| 1992 | 70.36 |  Natalya Shikolenko (BLR) |
Moscow |
| 1993 | 72.12 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Oslo |
| 1994 | 71.40 | Natalya Shikolenko (BLR) |
Seville |
| 1995 | 71.18 | Natalya Shikolenko (BLR) |
Zürich |
| 1996 | 69.42 | Steffi Nerius (GER) |
Monaco |
| 1997 | 69.66 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Helsinki |
| 1998 | 70.10 | Tanja Damaske (GER) |
Berlin |
A new model was introduced in 1999 and all records started fresh.
| YEAR | DISTANCE | ATHLETE | PLACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 68.19 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Fana |
| 2000 | 69.48 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Oslo |
| 2001 | 71.54 |  Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) |
Rethymno |
| 2002 | 67.47 | Miréla Manjani (GRE) |
Munich |
| 2003 | 66.52 | Miréla Manjani (GRE) |
Paris |
| 2004 | 71.53 (OR) | Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) |
Athens |
| 2005 | 71.70 | Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) |
Helsinki |
| 2006 | 66.91 | Christina Obergföll (GER) |
Athens |
| 2007 | 70.20 | Christina Obergföll (GER) |
Munich |
| 2008 | 72.28 (WR) | Barbora Špotáková (CZE) |
Stuttgart |
[edit] Top ten
[edit] Men's best throwers of all time (current 1986 model)
| RANK | MARK | ATHLETE | PLACE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 98.48 | Jan Železný (CZE) |
Jena | 1996-05-25 |
| 2. | 93.09 | Aki Parviainen (FIN) |
Kuortane | 1999-06-26 |
| 3. | 92.61 | Sergey Makarov (RUS) |
Sheffield | 2002-06-30 |
| 4. | 92.60 | Raymond Hecht (GER) |
Oslo | 1995-07-21 |
| 5. | 91.69 | Konstadinós Gatsioúdis (GRE) |
Kuortane | 2000-06-24 |
| 6. | 91.59 | Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) |
Oslo | 2006-06-02 |
| 7. | 91.53 | Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) |
Kuortane | 2005-06-26 |
| 8. | 91.46 | Steve Backley (GBR) |
Auckland | 1992-01-25 |
| 9. | 91.29 | Breaux Greer (USA) |
Indianapolis | 2007-06-21 |
| 10. | 90.73 |  Vadims Vasiļevskis (LAT) |
Tallinn | 2007-07-22 |
[edit] Women's best throwers of all time (current 1999 model)
| RANK | MARK | ATHLETE | PLACE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 72.28 | Barbora Špotáková (CZE) |
Stuttgart | 2008-09-13 |
| 2. | 71.70 | Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) |
Helsinki | 2005-08-14 |
| 3. | 70.78 | Mariya Abakumova (RUS) |
Beijing | 2008-08-21 |
| 4. | 70.20 | Christina Obergföll (GER) |
Munich | 2007-06-23 |
| 5. | 69.48 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) |
Oslo | 2000-07-28 |
| 6. | 68.34 | Steffi Nerius (GER) |
Elstal | 2008-08-31 |
| 7. | 67.67 | Sonia Bisset (CUB) |
Salamanca | 2005-07-06 |
| 8. | 67.51 | Miréla Manjani (GRE) |
Sydney | 2000-09-30 |
| 9. | 67.20 | Tatyana Shikolenko (RUS) |
Monaco | 2000-08-18 |
| 10. | 66.91 | Tanja Damaske (GER) |
Erfurt | 1999-07-04 |
[edit] Notable javelin throwers
[edit] Women
- Lillian Copeland, United States
- Babe Didrikson, United States
- Dorothy Dodson, United States
- Petra Felke, East Germany
- Ruth Fuchs, East Germany
- Trine Hattestad, Norway
- Tiina Lillak, Finland
- Mirela Manjani, Greece
- Osleidys Menéndez, Cuba
- Christina Obergföll, Germany
- Sofia Sakorafa, Greece
- Tessa Sanderson, Great Britain
- Kate Schmidt, United States
- Barbora Špotáková, Czech Republic
- Linda Stahl, Germany
- Fatima Whitbread, Great Britain
- Dana Zátopková, Czechoslovakia
[edit] Men
- Steve Backley, Great Britain
- Patrik Bodén, Sweden
- Al Cantello, United States
- Egil Danielsen, Norway
- Konstadinós Gatsioúdis, Greece
- Breaux Greer, United States
- Bud Held, United States
- Uwe Hohn, GDR
- Arto Härkönen, Finland
- Matti Järvinen, Finland
- Tapio Korjus, Finland
- Dainis Kūla, Soviet Union (Latvia)
- Gergely Kulcsár, Hungary
- Eric Lemming, Sweden
- Jānis Lūsis, Soviet Union (Latvia)
- Sergey Makarov, Russia
- Jonni Myyrä, Finland
- Miklós Németh, Hungary
- Yrjö Nikkanen, Finland
- Aki Parviainen, Finland
- Tom Petranoff, United States
- Tero Pitkämäki, Finland
- Tapio Rautavaara, Finland
- Seppo Räty, Finland
- Steve Seymour, United States
- Janusz Sidło, Poland
- Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway
- Andrus Värnik, Estonia
- Vadims Vasiļevskis, Latvia
- Cyrus Young, United States
- Jan Železný, Czech Republic
[edit] See also
- 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.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Javelin throw |
The following sites contain more information and statistics for Javelin throwing as well as for other track and field sports:
- (IAAF Statement) – statement of reasons to modify the javelin design
- World Record progression in athletics men
- World Record progression in athletics women
- Masters World Rankings
- IAAF competition rules
- Javelin History
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