Top seven men's javelin throw athletes yet to throw 90m ft. Neeraj Chopra, Julian Weber & more

Published at :October 3, 2024 at 6:59 PM

Modified at :October 3, 2024 at 7:01 PM

Neeraj Chopra is the most celebrated athlete on the list.

Javelin throw has evolved from the times when a certain Czech athlete was so dominant that he would win gold medals at three consecutive Summer Games, after finishing second in his first appearance at the Games. Jan Zelezny also has three World Championships golds to his name.

Out of all these six wins of the Czech athlete, only once an opponent could throw beyond the 90m mark in the finals. Aki Parviainen of Finland was the only athlete not named Jan Zelezny to have breached that historic mark in a World Championships or Olympics final. The greatest javelin throw athlete of all-time, as Jan Zelezny is often referred to, could himself do it only twice in the big finals.

But, gone are those days now. We now have the likes of Arshad Nadeem, Anderson Peters, Max Dehning, Jakub Vadlejch and many more who have done the once unthinkable and crossed the 90m mark. While these four are still in their prime and could hit the mark again, other active athletes to also have once crossed the 90m mark include the likes of Keshorn Walcott, Julius Yego, Johannes Vetter, Thomas Rohler, Andreas Hofmann and Cheng Chao-tsun.

Multiple athletes have started throwing 90m and beyond in the previous decade and the rise of Max Dehning suggests that this is not a trend that will stop anytime soon. Infact, it is only going to pick up going forward. So, it is imperative for an Olympic medal hopeful to be able to throw further than 90m.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra’s top five career best throws in men’s javelin

However, there still are many athletes who are yet to cross that mark. Let’s have a look at the list of athletes who are yet to breach the 90m mark.

List of men’s javelin throw athletes yet to cross 90m

7. Aliaksei Katkavets

The first on the list is Belarus’ four-time national champion, Aliaksei Katkavets. After finishing sixth in the Tokyo Olympics with a best effort of 83.71m as a 23-year-old, the Belarusian athlete looked set to be one of the main contenders for a medal in Paris.

However, he missed out on a berth in Paris. Katkavets has improved his throws since then, but lacks consistency. His personal best is 87.53m and his 2024 season best is 85.12m.

6. Gyorgy Herczeg

Only 20-years-old, Herczeg’s personal best is a throw of 84.98m. The Hungarian is already a national champion once and a U20 European champion. He has time to grow and has shown potential.

Herczeg missed out on a place at the Paris Olympics, but could grow to be a serious contender at LA 2028. His career path has too many similarities to the Indian two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra.

5. Teura’itera’i Tupaia

Tupaia had a disappointing outing at the Paris Olympics, as he was one of only two athletes to have failed to register a legal throw in the qualifiers.

However, that should not take away from the fact that Tupaia has the potential to throw 90m and beyond. Consistency is again a problem for the French athlete. His personal best is 86.11m, registered in May 2024.

4. Luiz Mauricio Da Silva

The 24-year-old Brazilian javelin throw athlete finished 11th at the Paris Olympics 2024. In the qualifiers, he brought his A-game when he registered his personal best throw of 85.91m.

Luiz would think that the season ended too soon, as he had started to pick up form. It remains to be seen how the South American champion starts the new season.

3. Oliver Helander

Oliver Helander’s personal best is 89.83m. The two-time Finnish national champion registers an 83m+ throw consistently. He finished ninth at the Paris Olympics 2024 and has finished top eight twice at the World Athletics Championships so far.

The 27-year-old would perhaps have his final realistic chance of coming back with a medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

2. Julian Weber

The German is the senior-most athlete so far on the list. Weber is also so far the most consistent 85m+ thrower on the list.

He has a top eight finish at the Olympics twice and and a top eight finish at the World Athletics Championships thrice. He also has been a European champion once and his personal best is 89.54m.

1. Neeraj Chopra

Neeraj Chopra is a two-time Olympic medalist. He won gold at the Tokyo Olympics and finished second at the Paris Olympics. Chopra is also a world champion and a one-time Diamond League winner.

He is the most consistent 87m+ thrower in the world to not have thrown 90m or beyond. His personal best is 89.94m, which is the current Indian national record.

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