It is one of the athletics events that will take place during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The javelin throw is often impressive and the speed at which the javelin is thrown is proof of this.
Thrown like an arrow above the arena, the javelin is quite an impressive event. Present since the fourth edition of the Olympic Games in 1908, this discipline is among the ancestors of Olympic history. At the time, the Swede Eric Lemming won the competition with a throw measured at 54.83m. Since then this distance has been improved since the Olympic record, held by the Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen is 90.57m in Beijing in 2008 and that of the women is for the Cuban Olisdeilys Menéndez who had achieved 71.53m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
While distance is obviously the first factor taken into account for the distribution of medals, speed is also important for javelin throwers. Didier Poppé, former regional technical advisor in Noumea, had given an answer to this question in the columns of Release. He estimates that the javelin had to go at about 100 km/h. To generate such momentum, two factors are essential: the alignment of the body in relation to the stroke of the implement, and the increase in the striking force, the “whiplash”.
The athlete’s physique is important, but so is the throwing technique, because the thrower must position his body perfectly so that the javelin can come out of his hands very quickly. The wind is also taken into account. When the wind is behind him, the thrower has every interest in throwing his javelin very high, whereas a headwind would force the athlete to adopt a lower position.
To Paris Olympic Games This summer, the javelin throw will be part of the very busy schedule of athletics events that will begin on Thursday, August 1st. For the javelin, you will have to wait until August 6th for the men’s qualifications for the event. The women’s qualifications are scheduled one day later, while the grand finals are scheduled for August 8th for the men and two days later for the women. Note that the javelin is also part of the decathlon and the heptathlon. All of these athletics events are scheduled at the Stade de France.