The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown as far as possible. 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
thumb|Javelin thrower on an Athenian [[Red-figure pottery|red-figure cup, 5th century BCE (Berlin Antikensammlung F 2728)]]
The javelin throw was added to the Ancient Olympic Games as part of the pentathlon in 708 BC. It included two events, one for distance and the other for accuracy in hitting a target. The javelin was thrown with the aid of a thong (ankyle in Greek) that was wound around the middle of the shaft. Athletes held the javelin by the ankyle, a leather strap around the shaft, so when they released the javelin, the unwinding of the thong gave the javelin a spiral trajectory.
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 always mandatory. Limited run-ups were introduced in the late 1890s, and soon developed into the modern unlimited run-up.
Sweden's Eric Lemming, who threw his first world best (49.32 metres) in 1899 and ruled the event from 1902 to 1912, was the first dominant javelin thrower. When the men's javelin was introduced as an Olympic discipline at the 1906 Intercalated Games, Lemming won by almost nine metres and broke his own world record; Sweden swept the first four places, as Finland's best throwers were absent and the event had yet to become popular in any other country.
thumb|upright=.6|[[Julius Saaristo in 1912 Summer Olympics]]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, most javelin competitions were two-handed; the implement was thrown with the right hand and separately with the left hand, and the best marks for each hand were added together. Competitions for the better hand only were less common, though not unknown.
Another early variant was the freestyle javelin, in which holding the javelin by the grip at the center of gravity was not mandatory; such a freestyle competition was held at the 1908 Olympics, but it was dropped from the program after that.
The first known women's javelin marks were recorded in Finland in 1909. These new javelins flew further, but were also less likely to land neatly point first; as a response to the increasingly frequent flat or ambiguously flat landings, experiments with modified javelins started in the early 1980s. The resulting 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 (then 104.80 m by Uwe Hohn, and 80.00 m by Petra Felke) were reset. The current () 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).
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 swept the medals at a currently recognized official Olympics, and has done so twice, in 1920 and 1932, in addition to its 1912 sweep in the two-handed javelin; in 1920 Finland swept the first four places, which is no longer possible as only three entrants per country are allowed. Finland has, however, never been nearly as successful in the women's javelin.
Rules and competitions
The size, shape, minimum weight, and center of gravity of the javelin are all defined by World Athletics rules. In international competition, men throw a javelin between in length and in weight, and women throw a javelin between in length and in weight. The javelin has a grip, about wide, made of cord and located at the javelin's center of gravity () from the javelin tip for the men's javelin and from the javelin tip for the women's javelin.
thumb|left|180px|[[Matti Järvinen (javelin)|Matti Järvinen throwing the javelin at the 1932 Olympics]]
Unlike the other throwing events (shot put, discus, and hammer), the technique used to throw the javelin is dictated by World Athletics 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 or starting with their back facing the direction of the throw. 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 24 October 1956, Pentti Saarikoski threw 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 wide and at least in length, ending in an radius throwing arc from which their throw is 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 28.96º circular sector that is centered on the center point of the throwing arc. The angle of the throwing sector (28.96º) provides sector boundaries that are easy to construct and lay out on a field. A throw is only legal if the tip of the javelin lands within this sector, and is the first part of the javelin to strike the ground. 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 centimetre.
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 case of a tie, the competitors' second-longest throws are also considered. Competitions involving large numbers of athletes sometimes use a cut whereby all competitors compete in the first three rounds but only those 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).
The javelin is almost always thrown outdoors, though it is rarely thrown indoors. The world record for men's indoor javelin throw is by Matti Närhi in 1996.
Javelin redesigns
thumb|[[Uwe Hohn (pictured in 1984) holds the "eternal world record" with a throw of 104.80 m, as a new type of javelin (less debate of landing spot, less danger of reaching the spectators) was implemented in 1986.]]
On 1 April 1986, the men's javelin () 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, by Uwe Hohn. With throws exceeding 100 metres, 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 forward. In addition, the surface area in front of centre of gravity was reduced, while the surface area behind the centre of gravity was increased. This had an effect similar to that produced by the feathers on an arrow. The javelin turns into the relative wind. This relative wind appears to originate from the ground as the javelin descends, 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 () 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 forbidden at the end of 1991 and performances made using implements with such modifications removed from the record books. Seppo Räty had achieved a world record of in 1991 with such a design, but this record was nullified.
Weight rules by age group
The weight of the javelin in the Under-20 category is the same as the senior level.
{| class="wikitable" width=40% style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;"
|-
| || colspan=1 bgcolor=lightblue|Men ||colspan=2 bgcolor=pink|Women
|-
|Age group || Weight || Weight
|-
|U14|| colspan="2"|
|-
|U16|| || rowspan="2"|
|-
|U18||
|-
|Junior (U20) ||rowspan="3"| || rowspan="3"|
|-
|Senior
|-
|35–49
|-
|50–74 || bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1| ||
|-
|50–59 |||| bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1|
|-
|60–69 || || bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1|
|-
|70–79 || || bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1|
|-
|75+ || bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1| ||
|-
|80+ || || bgcolor=lightgrey colspan=1|
|}
Technique and training
Unlike other throwing events, javelin allows the competitor to build speed over a considerable distance. In addition, the core and upper body strength is 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).
The javelin throw consists of three separate phases: the run-up, the transition, and the delivery. During each phase, the position of the javelin changes while the thrower changes his or her muscle recruitment. In the run-up phase as author Luann Voza states, "your arm is bent and kept close to your head, keeping the javelin in alignment with little to no arm movement". This allows the thrower's bicep to contract, flexing the elbow. In order for the javelin to stay up high, the thrower's deltoid flexes. In the transition phase, the thrower's "back muscles contract" as "the javelin is brought back in alignment with the shoulder with the thrower's palm up".
{| class="wikitable defaultleft col3center col6center"
|-
!scope="rowgroup" rowspan=2| Area
!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Men
!scope="colgroup" colspan=3| Women
|-
!scope="col"| Mark
!scope="col"| Season
!scope="col"| Athlete
!scope="col"| Mark
!scope="col"| Season
!scope="col"| Athlete
|-
!scope="row"| World
| || 1996 ||
| || 2008 ||
|-
!colspan=7| Area records
|-
!scope="row"| Africa
| || 2015 ||
| || 2012 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Asia
| || 2024 ||
| || 2026 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Europe
| || 1996 ||
| || 2008 ||
|-
!scope="row"| North, Central America<br>and Caribbean
| || 2022 ||
| || 2005 ||
|-
!scope="row"| Oceania
| || 2008 ||
| || 2018 ||
|-
!scope="row"| South America
| || 2025 ||
| || 2024 ||
|}
All-time top 25 (current models)
{| style="wikitable"
|Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 javelin throw marks and the top 25 athletes:
|-
| style="background: #f6F5CE" |- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 javelin throw marks
|-
|- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 javelin throw marks, by repeat athletes
|-
| style="background: #CCFFCC" |- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 javelin throw marks
|}
Men
- Correct as of August 2025.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! !! !! Mark !! Athlete !! Nation !! Date !! Place !! class="unsortable" |
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|1 || align=center|1 || || Jan Železný || || 25 May 1996 || Jena ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|2 || align=center|2 || || Johannes Vetter || || 6 September 2020 || Chorzów ||
|-
| rowspan=7| || align=center|3 || || Vetter #2 || rowspan=7| || 29 May 2021 || Chorzów ||
|-
| align=center|4 || || Železný #2 || 29 August 1993 || Sheffield ||
|-
| align=center|5 || || Železný #3 || 6 April 1993 || Pietersburg ||
|-
| align=center|6 || || Železný #4 || 31 May 1996 || Ostrava ||
|-
| align=center|7 || || Vetter #3 || 11 July 2017 || Luzern ||
|-
| align=center|8 || || Vetter #4 || 19 May 2021 || Ostrava ||
|-
| align=center|9 || || Železný #5 || 26 March 1997 || Stellenbosch ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|3 || align=center|10 || || Thomas Röhler || || 5 May 2017 || Doha ||
|-
| rowspan=3| || align=center|11 || || Vetter #5 || rowspan=3| || 18 August 2017 || Thum ||
|-
| align=center|12 || || Vetter #6 || 26 June 2021 || Kuortane ||
|-
| align=center|13 || || Vetter #7 || 21 May 2021 || Dessau ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|4 || align=center|14 || || Aki Parviainen || || 26 June 1999 || Kuortane ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|5 || align=center|15 || || Anderson Peters || || 13 May 2022 || Doha ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|6 || align=center|16
|
|Arshad Nadeem
|
|8 August 2024
|Saint-Denis
|
|-
| || align=center|17 || || Železný #6 || || 12 August 2001 || Edmonton ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|7 || align=center|18 || || Julius Yego || || 26 August 2015 || Beijing ||
|-
| || align=center|19 || || Vetter #8 || || 11 March 2018 || Leiria ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|8 || align=center|20 || || Sergey Makarov || || 30 June 2002 || Sheffield ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|9 || align=center|21 || || Raymond Hecht || || 14 August 1996 || Zurich ||
|-
| rowspan=4| || align=center|22 || || Železný #7 || rowspan=4| || 28 May 1997 || Ostrava ||
|-
| align=center|23 || || Parviainen #2 || 24 June 2001 || Vaasa ||
|-
| rowspan=2 align=center|24 || rowspan=2| || Železný #8 || 9 September 1995 || Monaco ||
|-
| Hecht #2 || 14 August 1996 || Zurich ||
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|10
| rowspan="16" |
|
|Andreas Hofmann
|
|2 June 2018
|Offenburg
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |11
|
|Konstadinós Gatsioúdis
|
|24 June 2000
|Kuortane
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|12
|
|Andreas Thorkildsen
|
|2 June 2006
|Oslo
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|13
|
|Tero Pitkämäki
|
|26 June 2005
|Kuortane
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |14
|
|Julian Weber
|
|28 August 2025
|Zurich
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|15
|
|Steve Backley
|
|25 January 1992
|Auckland
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|16
|
|Cheng Chao-tsun
|
|26 August 2017
|Taipei
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|17
|
|Breaux Greer
|
|21 June 2007
|Indianapolis
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |18
|
|Luiz Maurício da Silva
|
|3 August 2025
|São Paulo
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |19
|
|Jakub Vadlejch
|
|13 May 2022
|Doha
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |23
|
|Seppo Räty
|
|20 July 1992
|Nurmijärvi
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |24
|
|Boris Henry
|
|9 July 1997
|Linz
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |25
|
|Neeraj Chopra
|
|16 May 2025
|Doha
|
|}
Women
- Correct as of May 2026.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! !! !! Mark !! Athlete !! Nation !! Date !! Place !! class="unsortable" |
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|1 || align=center|1 || || Barbora Špotáková || || 13 September 2008 || Stuttgart ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|2 || align=center|2 || || Yan Ziyi || || 23 May 2026 || Xiamen ||
|-
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|3 || align=center|3 || || Osleidys Menéndez || || 14 August 2005 || Helsinki ||
|-
| rowspan=4| || align=center|4 || || Špotáková #2 || rowspan=4| || 2 September 2011 || Daegu ||
|-
| align=center|5 || || Menéndez #2 || 1 July 2001 || Rethymno ||
|-
| align=center|6 || || Menéndez #3 || 27 August 2004 || Athens ||
|-
| align=center|7 || || Špotáková #3 || 21 August 2008 || Beijing ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|4 || align=center|8 || || Maria Andrejczyk || || 9 May 2021 || Split ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|5 || align=center|9 || || Mariya Abakumova || || 1 September 2013 || Berlin ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|6 || align=center|10 || || Christina Obergföll || || 23 June 2007 || Munich ||
|-
| rowspan=7| || align=center|11 || || Obergföll #2 || rowspan=7| || 14 August 2005 || Helsinki ||
|-
| align=center|12 || || Menéndez #4 || 29 August 2001 || Beijing ||
|-
| align=center|13 || || Obergföll #3 || 31 August 2008 || Elstal ||
|-
| align=center|14 || || Abakumova #2 || 25 August 2013 || Elstal ||
|-
| align=center|15 || || Obergföll #4 || 8 September 2011 || Zurich ||
|-
| align=center|16 || || Špotáková #4 || 9 August 2012 || London ||
|-
| align=center|17 || || Menéndez #5 || 6 August 2001 || Edmonton ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|7 || align=center|18 || || Trine Hattestad || || 28 July 2000 || Oslo ||
|-
| || align=center|19 || || Špotáková #5 || || 22 July 2011 || Monaco ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|8 || align=center|20 || || Sunette Viljoen || || 9 June 2012 || New York City ||
|-
| || align=center|21 || || Abakumova #3 || || 16 March 2013 || Castellón ||
|- bgcolor="#f6F5CE"
| align=center|9 || align=center|22 || || Christin Hussong || || 30 May 2021 || Chorzów ||
|-
| rowspan=3| || align=center|23 || || Špotáková #6 || rowspan=3| || 31 May 2008 || Zaragoza ||
|-
| align=center|24 || || Abakumova #4 || 16 August 2013 || Moscow ||
|-
| align=center|25 || || Obergföll #5 || 18 August 2013 || Moscow ||
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|10
| rowspan="18" |
|
|Kathryn Mitchell
|
|11 April 2018
|Gold Coast
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|11
|
|Sara Kolak
|
|6 July 2017
|Lausanne
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|12
|
|Steffi Nerius
|
|31 August 2008
|Elstal
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|13
|
|Kara Winger
|
|2 September 2022
|Brussels
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |14
|
|Lü Huihui
|
|2 August 2019
|Shenyang
|
|-bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |15
|
|Victoria Hudson
|
|28 June 2025
|Maribor
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |16
|
|Kelsey-Lee Barber
|
|9 July 2019
|Lucerne
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |17
|
|Katharina Molitor
|
|30 August 2015
|Beijing
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |18
|
|Sonia Bisset
|
|6 July 2005
|Salamanca
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |19
|
|Mirela Manjani
|
|30 September 2000
|Sydney
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| align="center" |20
|
|Tatsiana Khaladovich
|
|7 June 2018
|Oslo
|
|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC"
| rowspan="2" align="center" |21
| rowspan="2" |
|Nikola Ogrodníková
|
|26 May 2019
|Offenburg
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|Maggie Malone
|
|17 July 2021
|East Stroudsburg
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|23
|
|Haruka Kitaguchi
|
|8 September 2023
|Brussels
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|24
|
|Linda Stahl
|
|14 June 2014
|New York City
|
|- bgcolor=#CCFFCC
|align=center|25
|
|Vera Rebrik
|
|19 February 2016
|Sochi
|
|}
Annulled marks
- In 2011, Mariya Abakumova threw 71.99 metres. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
All-time top 5 (dimpled models 1990–1991)
Marks set using dimpled rough-tailed javelins manufactured by several companies were nullified effective 20 September 1991.
|-
!2
|align="center"|91.36
|align=left|
|15 September 1991
|Sheffield
|
|-
!3
|align="center"|90.84
|align=left|
|8 September 1991
|Gengenbach
|
|-
!4
|align="center"|90.82
|align=left|
|26 August 1991
|Tokyo
|
|-
!5
|align="center"|90.72
|align=left|
|10 July 1991
|Lausanne
|
|}
All-time top 15 (old models)
Men
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
!Rank
!Mark
!Athlete
!Date
!Place
!Ref
|-
!1
|104.80
|align=left|
|21 July 1984
|Berlin
|
|-
!2
|99.72
|align=left|
|15 May 1983
|Westwood
|
|-
!rowspan=2|3
|rowspan=2|96.72
|align=left|
|23 April 1980
|Tata
|
|-
|align=left|
|9 June 1983
|Berlin
|
|-
!5
|95.80
|align=left|
|29 August 1982
|Stuttgart
|
|-
!6
|95.10
|align=left|
|5 August 1985
|Eugene
|
|-
!7
|94.58
|align=left|
|26 July 1976
|Montreal
|
|-
!8
|94.22
|align=left|
|3 August 1978
|Oslo
|
|-
!9
|94.20
|align=left|
|5 June 1983
|Birmingham
|
|-
!10
|94.08
|align=left|
|5 May 1973
|Leverkusen
|
|-
!11
|94.06
|align=left|
|26 July 1985
|Eugene
|
|-
!12
|93.90
|align=left|
|6 June 1973
|Helsinki
|
|-
!13
|93.84
|align=left|
|27 January 1979
|Auckland
|
|-
!14
|93.80
|align=left|
|6 July 1972
|Stockholm
|
|-
!15
|93.70
|align=left|
|17 July 1985
|Kyiv
|
|}
Women
thumb|[[Tessa Sanderson appeared in every Summer Olympics from 1976 to 1996, winning the gold medal in the javelin at the 1984 Olympics. She was the first Black British woman to win an Olympic gold medal, and the second track and field athlete to compete at six Olympics. Sanderson won gold medals at three Commonwealth Games and at the 1992 IAAF World Cup. She set five Commonwealth records and ten British national records in the javelin, as well as records at junior and masters levels. Sanderson had a rivalry with fellow Briton Fatima Whitbread, who took the bronze in the 1984 Olympics.]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|-
!Rank
!Mark
!Athlete
!Date
!Place
!Ref
|-
!1
|80.00
|align=left|
|8 September 1988
|Potsdam
|
|-
!2
|77.44
|align=left|
|28 August 1986
|Stuttgart
|
|-
!3
|74.76
|align=left|
|13 June 1983
|Tampere
|
|-
!4
|74.20
|align=left|
|26 September 1982
|Hania
|
|-
!5
|73.58
|align=left|
|26 June 1983
|Edinburgh
|
|-
!6
|72.70
|align=left|
|20 May 1984
|Hania
|
|-
!7
|72.16
|align=left|
|5 May 1984
|Celje
|
|-
!8
|72.12
|align=left|
|10 July 1993
|Oslo
|
|-
!9
|71.88
|align=left|
|15 August 1981
|Zagreb
|
|-
!10
|71.82
|align=left|
|30 August 1985
|Leverkusen
|
|-
!11
|71.40
|align=left|
|5 June 1994
|Sevilla
|
|-
!12
|71.00
|align=left|
|25 June 1988
|Rostock
|
|-
!13
|70.76
|align=left|
|22 June 1989
|Rostock
|
|-
!14
|70.42
|align=left|
|6 August 1990
|Tianjin
|
|-
!15
|70.20
|align=left|
|9 May 1991
|Halle
|
|}
Olympic medalists
Men
Women
World Championships medalists
Men
Women
World leading marks
Men
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="font-size:85%;"
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Mark
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Place
|-
!scope="row"|1967
|90.98
|
|Odesa
|-
!scope="row"|1968
|91.98
|
|Saarijärvi
|-
!scope="row"|1969
|92.70
|
|Tampere
|-
!scope="row"|1970
|92.64
|
|Helsinki
|-
!scope="row"|1971
|90.68
|
|Helsinki
|-
!scope="row"|1972
|93.80
|
|Stockholm
|-
!scope="row"|1973
|94.08
|
|Leverkusen
|-
!scope="row"|1974
|89.58
|
|Rome
|-
!scope="row"|1975
|91.38
|
|Budapest
|-
!scope="row"|1976
|94.58
|
|Montreal
|-
!scope="row"|1977
|94.10
|
|Stockholm
|-
!scope="row"|1978
|94.22
|
|Oslo
|-
!scope="row"|1979
|93.84
|
|Auckland
|-
!scope="row"|1980
|96.72
|
|Tata
|-
!scope="row"|1981
|92.48
|
|Berlin
|-
!scope="row"|1982
|95.80
|
|Stuttgart
|-
!scope="row"|1983
|99.72
|
|Westwood
|-
!scope="row"|1984
|104.80
|
|Berlin
|-
!scope="row"|1985
|96.96
|
|Canberra
|}
A new model was introduced in 1986, and all records started fresh.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="font-size:85%;"
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Mark
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Place
|-
!scope="row"|1986
|85.74
|
|Como
|-
!scope="row"|1987
|87.66
|
|Nitra
|-
!scope="row"|1988
|86.88
|
|Leverkusen
|-
!scope="row"|1989
|87.60
|
|San José
|-
!scope="row"|1990
|89.58
|
|Stockholm
|-
!scope="row"|1991
|90.82
|
|Tokyo
|-
!scope="row"|1992
|91.46
|
|Auckland
|-
!scope="row"|1993
|95.66
|
|Sheffield
|-
!scope="row"|1994
|91.82
|
|Sheffield
|-
!scope="row"|1995
|92.60
|
|Oslo
|-
!scope="row"|1996
|98.48
|
|Jena
|-
!scope="row"|1997
|94.02
|
|Stellenbosch
|-
!scope="row"|1998
|90.88
|
|Tartu
|-
!scope="row"|1999
|93.09
|
|Kuortane
|-
!scope="row"|2000
|91.69
|
|Kuortane
|-
!scope="row"|2001
|92.80
|
|Edmonton
|-
!scope="row"|2002
|92.61
|
|Sheffield
|-
!scope="row"|2003
|90.11
|
|Dessau
|-
!scope="row"|2004
|87.73
|
|Ostrava
|-
!scope="row"|2005
|91.53
|
|Kuortane
|-
!scope="row"|2006
|91.59
|
|Oslo
|-
!scope="row"|2007
|91.29
|
|Indianapolis
|-
!scope="row"|2008
|90.57
|
|Beijing
|-
!scope="row"|2009
|91.28
|
|Zurich
|-
!scope="row"|2010
|90.37
|
|Florø
|-
!scope="row"|2011
|90.61
|
|Byrkjelo
|-
!scope="row"|2012
|88.34
|
|London
|-
!scope="row"|2013
|89.03
|
|Bad Köstritz
|-
!scope="row"|2014
|89.21
|
|Shanghai
|-
!scope="row"|2015
|92.72
|
|Beijing
|-
!scope="row"|2016
|91.28
|
|Turku
|-
!scope="row"|2017
|94.44
|
|Lucerne
|-
!scope="row"|2018
|92.70
|
|Leiria
|-
!scope="row"|2019
|90.61
|
|Kuortane
|-
!scope="row"|2020
|97.76
|
|Chorzów
|-
!scope="row"|2021
|96.29
|
|Chorzów
|-
!scope="row"|2022
|93.07
|
|Doha
|-
!scope="row"|2023
|89.51
|
|Turku
|-
!scope="row"|2024
|92.97
|
|Paris
|-
!scope="row"|2025
|91.51
|
|Zurich
|}
Women
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="font-size:85%;"
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Mark
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Place
|-
!scope="row"|1973
|66.10
|
|Edinburgh
|-
!scope="row"|1974
|67.22
|
|Rome
|-
!scope="row"|1975
|66.46
|
|Sudbury
|-
!scope="row"|1976
|69.12
|
|Berlin
|-
!scope="row"|1977
|69.32
|
|Fürth
|-
!scope="row"|1978
|69.16
|
|Prague
|-
!scope="row"|1979
|69.52
|
|Dresden
|-
!scope="row"|1980
|70.08
|
|Podolsk
|-
!scope="row"|1981
|71.88
|
|Zagreb
|-
!scope="row"|1982
|74.20
|
|Hania
|-
!scope="row"|1983
|74.76
|
|Tampere
|-
!scope="row"|1984
|74.72
|
|Celje
|-
!scope="row"|1985
|75.40
|
|Schwerin
|-
!scope="row"|1986
|77.44
|
|Stuttgart
|-
!scope="row"|1987
|78.90
|
|Leipzig
|-
!scope="row"|1988
|80.00
|
|Potsdam
|-
!scope="row"|1989
|76.88
|
|Macerata
|-
!scope="row"|1990
|73.08
|
|Manaus
|-
!scope="row"|1991
|71.44
|
|Fana
|-
!scope="row"|1992
|70.36
|
|Moscow
|-
!scope="row"|1993
|72.12
|
|Oslo
|-
!scope="row"|1994
|71.40
|
|Seville
|-
!scope="row"|1995
|71.18
|
|Zurich
|-
!scope="row"|1996
|69.42
|
|Monaco
|-
!scope="row"|1997
|69.66
|
|Helsinki
|-
!scope="row"|1998
|70.10
|
|Berlin
|-
|}
A new model was introduced in 1999 and all records started fresh.
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders sticky-header" style="font-size:85%;"
|-
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Mark
!scope="col"|Athlete
!scope="col"|Place
|-
!scope="row"|1999
|68.19
|
|Fana
|-
!scope="row"|2000
|69.48
|
|Oslo
|-
!scope="row"|2001
|71.54
|
|Rethymno
|-
!scope="row"|2002
|67.47
|
|Munich
|-
!scope="row"|2003
|66.52
|
|Paris
|-
!scope="row"|2004
|71.53
|
|Athens
|-
!scope="row"|2005
|71.70
|
|Helsinki
|-
!scope="row"|2006
|66.91
|
|Athens
|-
!scope="row"|2007
|70.20
|
|Munich
|-
!scope="row"|2008
|72.28
|
|Stuttgart
|-
!scope="row"|2009
|68.59
|
|Leiria
|-
!scope="row"|2010
|68.66
|
|Rome
|-
!scope="row"|2011
|71.58
|
|Daegu
|-
!scope="row"|2012
|69.55
|
|London
|-
!scope="row"|2013
|70.53
|
|Berlin
|-
!scope="row"|2014
|67.99
|
|Brussels
|-
!scope="row"|2015
|67.69
|
|Beijing
|-
!scope="row"|2016
|67.30
|
|Sochi
|-
!scope="row"|2017
|68.43
|
|Lausanne
|-
!scope="row"|2018
|68.92
|
|Gold Coast
|-
!scope="row"|2019
|67.98
|
|Shenyang
|-
!scope="row"|2020
|67.61
|
|Beijing
|-
!scope="row"|2021
|71.40
|
|Split
|-
!scope="row"|2022
|68.11
|
|Brussels
|-
!scope="row"|2023
|67.38
|
|Brussels
|-
!scope="row"|2024
|66.70
|
|Cuiaba
|-
!scope="row"|2025
|67.76
|
|Maribor
|-
!scope="row"|2026
|71.74
|
|Xiamen
|}
See also
- List of javelin throw national champions (men)
<!--* List of javelin throw national champions (women)-->
- List of javelin throwers
References
External links
- IAAF list of javelin-throw records in XML
- (IAAF Statement) – statement of reasons to modify the javelin design
- Masters World Rankings
- IAAF competition rules