The javelin throw at the World Athletics Championships has been contested by both men and women since the inaugural edition in 1983. The competition format typically has one qualifying round contested by two groups of athletes, with all those clearing the automatic qualifying distance or placing in top twelve overall advancing to the final round.
Overall, the Czech Republic has been the most successful nation in the event, winning 7 gold medals in total and 13 medals overall. Germany has won the most medals out of any country, with 18 medals in total, including 5 golds. Norway is the only country aside from the Czech Republic and Germany to have won gold medals in both the men's and the women's event. Finland has seen significant success in the men's event, topping the men's medal table with 4 golds and 9 medals overall.
Jan Železný is the most successful and most decorated athlete in the event, having won 5 medals in total, including 3 golds. His compatriot Barbora Špotáková is the most successful female athlete, with 3 medals in total, all of them gold. Christina Obergföll and Steffi Nerius are the most decorated female athletes, with 4 medals in total.
The championship records for the event are 92.80 m for men, set by Železný in 2001, and 71.70 m for women, set by Osleidys Menéndez in 2015.
Additionally, Menéndez' championship record throw was also the only time the world record was broken at the championships.
The reigning world champions are Neeraj Chopra of India and Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan.
Age records
All information from World Athletics.
DistinctionMaleFemaleAthleteAgeDateAthleteAgeDateYoungest champion21 years, 313 days5 Aug 199721 years, 265 days6 Aug 2001Youngest medalist21 years, 75 days30 Aug 198721 years, 10 days8 Aug 1995Youngest finalist19 years, 79 days12 Aug 200117 years, 268 days9 Aug 1997Youngest participant18 years, 340 days29 Aug 198715 years 283 days26 Aug 1999Oldest champion35 years, 57 days12 Aug 200137 years, 48 days18 Aug 2009Oldest medalist35 years, 57 days12 Aug 200137 years, 48 days18 Aug 2009Oldest finalist41 years, 193 days31 Aug 200340 years, 59 days14 Aug 2005Oldest participant41 years, 193 days31 Aug 200342 years, 74 days29 Aug 2007
Medalists
Men
Medalists by country
Multiple medalists RankAthleteNationPeriodGoldSilverBronzeTotal1Jan Železný1987-200130252Anderson Peters2019-202221033Andreas Thorkildsen2005-201113044Tero Pitkämäki2007-201511135Seppo Räty1987-19911102Kimmo Kinnunen1991-19931102Aki Parviainen1999-20011102Andrus Värnik2003-20051102Neeraj Chopra2022-2023110210Sergey Makarov2003-20051012Johannes Vetter2017-2019101212Steve Backley1995-1997020213Konstadinos Gatsioudis1997-20010123Jakub Vadlejch2017-2023012315Guillermo Martínez2009-2011011216Boris Henry1995-20030022
Women
Medalists by country
Multiple medalists RankAthleteNationPeriodGoldSilverBronzeTotal1Barbora Špotáková2007-201730032Trine Solberg-Hattestad1993-19992103Mirena Maniani1999-200321034Osleidys Menéndez2001-20052002Kelsey-Lee Barber2019-202220026Christina Obergföll2005-201312147Fatima Whitbread1983-198711028Steffi Nerius2003-200910349Natalya Shikolenko1993-19951012Haruka Kitaguchi2022-2023101211Petra Felke-Meier1987-19910202Tatyana Shikolenko1999-2003020213Lü Huihui2015-2019012314Sunette Viljoen2011-2015011215Mackenzie Little2023-20250022
Combined medal table
Championship record progression
Men +Old model (up until 1986-06-01)Main > Men's Javelin Throw > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2024-10-08.MarkAthleteNationYearRoundDate88.86 mKlaus Tafelmeier1983Qualification1983-08-1090.40 mDetlef Michel1983Qualification1983-08-10 +Renewed model (1986-06-01 – 1991-11-18)MarkAthleteNationYearRoundDate82.10 mViktor Yevsyukov1987Qualification1987-08-2982.20 mJan Železný1987Final1987-08-3082.32 mSeppo Räty1987Final1987-08-3082.52 mViktor Yevsyukov1987Final1987-08-3083.54 mSeppo Räty1987Final1987-08-3090.82 mKimmo Kinnunen1991Final1991-08-26 +Current model (1991-11-18 – present)MarkAthleteNationYearRoundDate74.10 mColin MacKenzie1993Qualification1993-08-1581.04 mDmitriy Polyunin 1993Qualification1993-08-1583.22 mJan Železný1993Qualification1993-08-1584.78 mKimmo Kinnunen1993Final1993-08-1685.98 mJan Železný1993Final1993-08-1687.60 mBoris Henry1995Final1993-08-1389.58 mJan Železný1995Final1993-08-1391.31 mAki Parviainen2001Final2001-08-1292.80 mJan Železný2001Final2001-08-12
Women +Old model (up until 1999-04-01)Main > Women's javelin throw > World Championships Records Progression. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2024-10-08.MarkAthleteNationYearRoundDate64.80 mTessa Sanderson1983Qualification1983-08-1268.50 mAnna Verouli1983Qualification1983-08-1269.16 mTiina Lillak1983Qualification1983-08-1270.82 mTiina Lillak1983Final1983-08-1373.16 mFatima Whitbread1987Final1987-09-0676.64 mFatima Whitbread1987Final1987-09-06 +Current model (1999-04-01 – present)MarkAthleteNationYearRoundDate61.78 mTatyana Shikolenko1999Qualification1999-08-2662.07 mOsleidys Menéndez1999Qualification1999-08-2662.67 mTrine Solberg-Hattestad1999Qualification1999-08-2663.83 mOksana Ovchinnikova1999Qualification1999-08-2664.61 mOsleidys Menéndez1999Final1999-08-2866.06 mTrine Solberg-Hattestad1999Final1999-08-2866.33 mMirela Tzelili1999Final1999-08-2867.09 mMirela Tzelili1999Final1999-08-2869.53 mOsleidys Menéndez2001Final2001-08-0671.70 m Osleidys Menéndez2005Final2005-08-1471.99 m1Maria Abakumova2011Final2011-09-02 1Subsequently disqualified after failing a doping test.
Best performances
Top ten furthest World Championship throws1
+ Furthest men's throws at the World Championships (current model)RankDistance (m)AthleteNationYearDate 1 92.80 m Jan Železný 2001 2001-08-12 2 92.72 m Julius Yego 2015 2015-08-26 3 91.31 m Aki Parviainen 2001 2001-08-12 4 91.20 m Johannes Vetter 2017Q 2017-08-10 5 90.76 m Jan Železný 2001Q 2001-08-10 6 90.54 m Anderson Peters 2022 2022-07-23 7 90.33 m Tero Pitkämäki 2007 2007-09-02 8 89.91 m Anderson Peters 2022Q 2022-07-21 9 89.89 m Johannes Vetter 2017 2017-08-12 10 89.73 m Jakub Vadlejch 2017 2017-08-12
+ Furthest women's throws at the World Championships (current model)RankDistance (m)AthleteNationYearDate 1 71.70 m Osleidys Menéndez 2005 2005-08-14 2 71.58 m Barbora Špotáková 2011 2011-09-02 3 70.03 m Christina Obergföll 2005 2005-08-14 4 69.53 m Osleidys Menéndez 2001 2001-08-06 5 69.09 m Mariya Abakumova 2013Q 2013-08-16 6 69.05 m Christina Obergföll 2013 2013-08-18 7 68.76 m Christina Obergföll 2011Q 2011-09-01 8 68.38 m Sunette Viljoen 2011 2011-09-02 9 67.69 m Katharina Molitor 2015 2015-08-30 10 67.59 m Lü Huihui 2017 2017-08-06 1Does not include ancillary marks
See also
Javelin throw Javelin throw at the Olympics
References
Bibliography