Javelin Throw

Aug 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Olympic Stadium

Throw must be attempted within 60 seconds of athlete being called

Finnish grip: Most popular among top-class throwers

V or claw grip: Enables throwing arm
to remain close to body

Men’s javelin:

Length: 2.6m-2.7m

Min. weight: 800g

London Olympics women’s javelin
gold medallist Barbora Špotáková (CZE)

Steel head:Javelin must land tip first

Women’s javelin:

Length: 2.2m-2.3m

Min. weight: 600g

Shaft:Fibreglass or carbon fibre

Cord grip

Run-up: Length: 35.6m Athlete must not turn their back to scratch line

29°

Scratch line: Javelin must be thrown over shoulder, not slung or hurled

Olympic records

Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) Beijing, 2008 90.57m

Osleidys Menéndez (CUB) Athens, 2004 71.53m

World records

Jan Zelezný (CZE) Jena, 1996 98.48m

Barbora Špotáková (CZE) Stuttgart, 2008 72.28m

Sources: Rio 2016, Olympic.org, IAAF

Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images