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javelin throw: Quick Facts

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Photos and Videos

Shiying Liu of Team China, wearing a red striped uniform, prepares to throw a javelin during the Women's Javelin Throw final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Diagram showing javelin dimensions for women and men on the left, a labeled javelin-throwing area with runway and arc in the center, and the full javelin-throwing sector layout on the right.
Neeraj Chopra of India prepares to throw a javelin during the men's javelin event at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, with Olympic rings visible in the background.
Ruth Fuchs of East Germany in mid-throw during the javelin event at the 1978 European Championships, wearing athletic gear and number 147 on her chest.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee in a red and white USA uniform throws a javelin during the heptathlon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, wearing bib number 578.
Daley Thompson of Great Britain in mid-stride throwing a javelin during the decathlon at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, with a crowd watching in the stadium.
Galina Zybina, wearing a USSR sweatshirt and shorts, prepares to throw a javelin during a practice session outdoors at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Otaniemi, Finland.
Infographic about the ancient Olympic Games featuring stylized illustrations of athletes competing in discus, long jump, javelin, equestrian events, running events, boxing, wrestling, and pankration. Each sport is labeled with a brief description, and a central text box explains the origins and evolution of the Games in Olympia, Greece.
See a comparative study of four Olympic hurling objects - the hammer, the javelin, the discus, and the shot put
Study a side-view demonstration of a track-and-field athlete throwing a javelin
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Key People

Neeraj Chopra of India smiles on the podium, holding up his gold medal and a bouquet after winning the men's javelin throw at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Neeraj Chopra
Indian athlete
Arshad Nadeem aiming for gold
Arshad Nadeem
Pakistani track-and-field athlete
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
American athlete
default image
Paavo Yrjölä: The Farmhand
Finnish athlete
Olympic gold medal winner Liu Shiying
Liu Shiying
Chinese track-and-field athlete
Ruth Fuchs
Ruth Fuchs
German athlete
default image
Eric Lemming
Swedish athlete
Galina Zybina
Galina Zybina
Soviet athlete

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