Spearheads: The 10 Greatest Javelin Throwers of All-Time
Let’s Get to the Point: The Top 10 Greatest Javelin Throwers Ever
Who are the 10 greatest javelin throwers of all-time? Keep reading for our ultimate list…
One of the greatest javelin throwers of all-time, Barbora Spotakova
Javelin is one of the world’s oldest and most historically prevalent sports.
This form of pear-throwing forms part of the original Olympic big five, alongside discus, Olympic wrestling, running and long jump, dating back as early as 708 B.C.
The elegant yet highly precarious art of long-distance spear-throwing has historically been the sport of warriors, legends and, according to Greek myths, supposedly even the gods.
Today, javelin remains one of the most challenging and dynamic athletic sports in the world, with thousands of highly competitive Olympic athletes participating in it for their share of glory.
It is a highly technical sport that takes professionals years, if not decades, to perfect.
So, who are the greatest javelin throwers in the world? Let’s get to the point!
1. Jan Železný
He’s a three-time World Championship winner
He’s a three-time Olympic gold medalist
He set the world record three times over
Czech athlete Jan Železný is the unequivocal world champion of javelin throwing.
With a record-breaking throw of 98.48m (a distance nearly 1m further than the world’s second-best throw), he cemented his place in history as the most decorated and prolific javelin thrower ever.
Three World Championship wins, three gold medals from multiple Olympic Games, and three-time world record breaker — three seems to be a magical number for this exceptional athlete.
Železný is now retired and living in his hometown of Prague.
2. Barbora Spotakova
She holds the women’s javelin throw world record at 72.28m
Spotakova is a three-time World Championship winner
She’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist
Also hailing from the Czech Republic, Barbora Spotakova is widely regarded as the best female javelin thrower in the world.
Winning back-to-back gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and the 2012 Olympics, Spotakova has become a symbol of javelin-throwing excellence across the globe.
In addition to her Olympic accolades, sprightly Spotakova has also claimed three separate World Championship titles and holds the current record for female javelin throws.
3. Julius Yego
He was crowned World Champion in 2015
He’s an Olympic silver medalist
Yego has been nicknamed “Mr YouTube” because of where he learned the sport
Kenyan Julius Yego is the best javelin thrower on the African continent and has a throng of international medals and placements to boot.
The best part? He learnt how to throw javelin by watching YouTube.
Yego won gold at the World Championships in 2015 and silver at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as gold at four different African Championship events and gold at two All-Africa tournaments.
Through his unique career, Yego proved to everyone that with enough drive and passion, anyone can become an athletic legend.
4. Olisdeilys Menéndez
She is the first and only Cuban woman to break a javelin world record
She’s a two-time World Champion
In her career, she’s won gold and bronze medals at the Olympics
Slotting in just under Spotakova’s 72.28m throw with a hair-splitting 71.70m comes Olisdeilys Menéndez, a fierce Cuban athlete who marched her way up the leaderboard with impressive determination.
Winning both gold and bronze at separate Olympic Games, and the Javelin World Championships twice in a row, Menéndez is renowned as the second-best female javelin thrower in history.
5. Johannes Vetter
He holds the record for the world’s second-furthest javelin throw at 97.76m
He’s a 2016 Javelin World Championships gold medalist
He’s also a 2015 Javelin World Championships bronze medalist
German-born Johannes Vetter may not have as many medals as the other javelin throwers on this list, but he produced the world’s second-furthest javelin throw, which makes him a worthy competitor for them all.
Vetter had a powerful run-up and an eye for precision, empowering him to win bronze at the World Championships in 2015 and gold at the same competition one year later.
He made two appearances at the Summer Olympics but did not make it past fourth place.
6. Maria Andrejczyk
Andrejczyk is the best female javelin thrower in Poland
She’s the third-best female javelin thrower in the world
She’s an Olympic silver medalist
Polish Maria Andrejczyk is a rising star of the professional javelin community.
She has achieved an Olympic silver medal, five National Championships and a world record for female javelin throwing of 71. 40m– all at the tender age of 25.
This female Olympian is one to watch at the next Olympic Games!
7. Thomas Röhler
He’s an Olympic gold medalist
In 2018, he was the European Champion
He’s a five-time Diamond League winner
Swooping in just under Železný and Vetter with the world’s third-best javelin throw of 93.90m, this spear-wielding German athlete has one of the most impressive javelin careers to date.
Boasting multiple Diamond League first placements, multiple European Championship wins and a gold medal at the prestigious 2016 Olympic Games, Röhler’s athletic career is still alive and well — and we can’t wait to see which title he claims for himself next.
8. Mariya Abakumova
She is a World Championship bronze medalist
Abakumova is a two-time Olympian
She’s a two-time Diamond League winner
Mariya Abakumova is a firecracker of a Russian javelin thrower, gaining international accolades year after year in successful tournaments.
Known for her exuberant personality and explosive throwing style, Abakumova has been an athletic force from a very young age, and it shows.
She has two Diamond League titles under her belt and won first place at the 2013 World University Games, as well as earning herself a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and a 10th placement at the 2012 Olympics.
Abakumova also boasts a bronze from the 2013 World Championships — a true javelin icon.
9. Aki Parviainen
He’s the 1999 World Champion
He set a record for his 90.3m in 1999
He’s competed in six World Championships
1999 was a big year for phenomenal Finnish javelin thrower Aki Parviainen.
Not only did this legend claim the title of World Champion, but he also set what was then considered the second-best javelin throwing record at the time, next to Železný.
Following these achievements, he nabbed a silver at the World Championships and participated in the 2000 Olympic Games, placing a fair but still very impressive fifth.
10. Katheryn Mitchell
She’s a top Oceanian record holder (current)
Mitchell is a three-time Australian National Champion
She was a Commonwealth Games winner in 2018
Representing Australia, Katheryn Mitchell is a javelin thrower whose career has escalated and improved each year.
Holding the current title of Australian National Champion (which she has won a grand total of three times) and the Commonwealth Games Winner of 2018, Mitchell is without a doubt Oceania’s leading female javelin thrower.
She has also participated in two Olympic Games, placing in the world’s top eight a whopping three times.
As active and hardworking as ever, we can expect to see a lot more of Mitchell going forward.
Who do you think is the greatest javelin thrower of all-time? Share your thoughts in the comments!
