The javelin throw has been part of the Summer Olympics since 1906. The javelin was used in early times for war and hunting. Today it is used mostly as a sport.
A lot of sports seem to be dominated by certain countries - running sprints...Jamaica and the USA seem to be top, and distance running is dominated by Kenyan runners. The Javelin throw at the Olympics seems to be dominated by Norway, Sweden and Finland. Of the last 66 Olympic medals that have been awarded, 30 have gone to athletes from these countries. Finland is the only nation ever to have swept the medals, in 1920 and 1932.
You would think that to throw the javelin you would need load of brute strength, This is not the case. Technique is absolutely vital. The athlete has to have the ability to transfer a sprint from the legs into the shoulder into the arm, and then all that energy to the javelin. The angle is critical. All of this allows the javelin to fly effortlessly to record breaking distances.
The javelin itself has undergone changes. Today it is made of metal, fibreglass and, in some cases, carbon fibre. In 1986 a new model was introduced which was a design change intended to make the javelin peg into the ground. This was to avoid controversies when they landed flat on the ground. They moved the centre of gravity forward by 4 cm which caused it to come down point first more easily. Records were started afresh in 1986, and then again in 1999, because of javelin model updates.
Hopefully nothing will change for the 2012 London Olympics and we can have a few British athletes winning some of the medals.
The best throw with the 1986 Model is 98.48m by Jan Železný (CZE)
Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway recorded a distance of 90.57m, a new Olympic record at the Beijing Olympics.
What will be the distance at the 2012 Olympics to be held in London ? Which nation will claim that victory ? Let’s hope it is GB.
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