© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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COMPETITION  EVENTS |
 ALL IN THE ARM
Paris 2003 Saint-Denis
Man has wielded the javelin to devastating effect since time immemorial but it is only in the modern era that the practice has been reserved exclusively for the sporting arena. Today’s star throwers go by the colourful names of Zelezny, Makarov and Gatsioudis, who will step into the Stade de France® amphitheatre in quest of glory.
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| Vandystadt |
A bit of history
Javelin throwing is one of those sporting disciplines whose history is steeped in the original activity of man. A deadly weapon in armies of the Antiquity, the javelin was first introduced into the sporting arena by Hercules. Originally carved from the wood of an olive tree, the javelin made its appearance at the Olympic Games of 708BC and henceforth became one of the most popular athletic disciplines in the Mediterranean basin. The sport was adopted by the Scandinavians over 2,000 years later and Sweden’s Eric Lemming was the first Olympic champion of the modern era, winning gold in both the freestyle and the classic style in London in 1908. Women javelin throwers had to wait until 1932 for the chance to compete for Olympic gold.
The basics
The javelin is carried horizontally above the shoulder and behind the head as the thrower accelerates towards the check line. As he nears the line, the thrower twists to one side and executes the hop or fast cross step that Lemming first invented. He then draws the javelin back nice and flat and pivots forward abruptly to hurl the javelin into the air.
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| Vandystadt |
All of which sounds easy enough, but in fact the javelin is a notoriously tricky discipline. A perfect combination of strength, speed and technique is required for the javelin to soar into the sky at just the right angle and velocity.
The greatest javelin throwers
Matti Järvinen (FIN): the first great thrower, Järvinen reigned supreme throughout the 1930s. Standing tall at 1.85m for 86kg, the Finn first came to the public’s attention in 1930 when he added 56 centimetres to the previous world record with a throw of 71.57m. Then, over the space of the next six years he broke his own world record no less than nine times to take the mark to 77.23m in 1936. He literally outclassed the competition on his way to gold at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where five of his six throws landed further than the mark set by the silver medallist.
Jan Zelezny (RTC) : The Czech athlete is far and away the best thrower of his generation. The triple Olympic gold medal winner and three-time world champion was the undisputed champion of the 1990s and has shrugged off recurring back problems to return in search of a fourth world title in Paris.
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| Jan Zelezny Vandystadt |
Another world record is probably beyond Zelezny (his fifth and last mark of 98.48m was set back in1996), but his legendary arm speed and impeccable technique may well see him clinch yet another gold.
World records
Men : Jan Zelezny (RTC) 98.48 m
Women: Osleidys Menendez (CUB) 71.54 m
Schedule
Men:
Friday 29 August, 6.30pm: qualifying
Sunday 31 August, 4.50pm: final
Women:
Thursday 28 August, 6.55pm: qualifying
Saturday 30 August, 4.40pm: final
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