Jakub Vadlejch may not be aware, but the Czech thrower played a big part in Anderson Peters&rsquo; monumental 93.07m throw at the Wanda Diamond League opener in Doha.
The duo had battled through the competition with Peters taking an early lead with 88.96m, then Vadlejch responding with 89.87m. Peters briefly regained the lead with 90.19m, only for Vadlejch to snatch it back with 90.88m.
It was then that Peters noticed something.
&ldquo;I was throwing my javelin a bit flat,&rdquo; said Peters. &ldquo;But then when I saw Jakub threw it higher and got 90 metres, I thought &lsquo;let me try throwing it high&rsquo;.&rdquo;
He did. And it worked.
The Grenadian launched his spear high up into the Doha night sky. An expectant gasp from the crowd was soon followed by rapturous applause as the javelin punctured the ground at the far end of the infield.
The distance &ndash; 93.07m &ndash; flashed up on the scoreboard and Peters broke out into a celebratory dance, his victory confirmed, along with his fifth-place position on the world all-time list. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/62840335535288967fae2729.jpg" alt="Javelin thrower Anderson Peters" />
Javelin thrower Anderson Peters (&copy; Christel Saneh)
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 Before the competition, though, the strong winds in the Qatari capital had been a cause of concern for most of the throwers.
&ldquo;I was really worried about throwing at first because when I went to the stadium the day before the competition, we were throwing into a headwind,&rdquo; said Peters. &ldquo;Then during the competition warm-up the javelin was going crazy and all the throwers were pretty worried about it. But when we got to the stadium they had switched it around, so the wind was in our favour. That was really good of the organisers to do that; we loved it.&rdquo;
The conditions may have been useful for some, but not every javelin thrower produced big marks in Doha. Olympic bronze medallist Vitezslav Vesely, 2016 Olympic champion Thomas Rohler and Sweden&rsquo;s Kim Amb were all some way off 80 metres.
&ldquo;It depends on the kind of thrower you are,&rdquo; explains Peters. &ldquo;Most javelin throwers prefer a wind from behind. When the wind catches the javelin, it allows it to glide a bit further.&rdquo;
Regardless, throwing well is not all about catching a good wind. It comes down to force, angles, technique &ndash; and, in this case, responding well to a challenge.
&ldquo;When the competition started, I felt good and I told myself &lsquo;let&rsquo;s get it&rsquo;,&rdquo; says Peters. &ldquo;I started with 88 metres and felt comfortable, then Jakub came along and threw 89 metres and then I was like, &lsquo;okay, now I really have to bring it&rsquo;.
&ldquo;I use a lot of visualisation techniques,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;When I&rsquo;m on the runway, I visualise how I want the javelin to fly. I also put a lot of linear force into my throw. I try to make sure that when it starts dying, it&rsquo;s already past the 80-metre line. Whatever distance you get, you know it&rsquo;s going to be good.&rdquo;
<h2>All corners of the world</h2>
For a long time, the javelin was dominated by European throwers &ndash; specifically Finns, Germans and Brits.
In more recent years, though, the event has opened up to other nations. In 2012, Trinidad &amp; Tobago&rsquo;s Keshorn Walcott won the Olympic title. Three years later, Kenya&rsquo;s Julius Yego earned world gold in Beijing. Peters was the winner of the world title in 2019, and last year India&rsquo;s Neeraj Chopra struck gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
It is now arguably one of the most universal throwing disciplines. And it could all be thanks to YouTube.
Yego, Peters, Walcott and Chopra all became keen students of their sport by watching videos of javelin greats. They may not have had access to leading European coaches during their formative years, but they had an internet connection, a willingness to learn, and a desire to become a great thrower. 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5bf7ba76-ab46-4aee-a295-4c95420c2739.jpg" alt="Grenadian javelin thrower Anderson Peters" />
Grenadian javelin thrower Anderson Peters (&copy; Dan Vernon)
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 When asked about the global appeal of the javelin, Peters has a simple response: &ldquo;I think people just like to see stuff go far. When you become a javelin thrower, you get seriously attracted to trying to make that thing go far, and you do everything you can do to achieve that.
&ldquo;I used to watch YouTube videos of the all-time greats like Jan Zelezny and I wanted to be like them, so then I started really working hard,&rdquo; he added.
&ldquo;The 2016 World U20 Championships in Bydgoszcz was also a turning point for me. I won a bronze medal there, finishing behind Neeraj Chopra. I saw him throw 86 metres there and I felt like I could also do that.&rdquo;
Chopra, who achieved sporting superstardom and all-time great status after winning the Olympic title in Tokyo, now features in many online videos. Peters hopes that he, too, will start to enter the conversation.
&ldquo;I still watch videos on YouTube of the all-time best javelin throws and I&rsquo;ve always wanted to be part of it,&rdquo; says Peters. &ldquo;So now that I&rsquo;m fifth on the world all-time list, hopefully I&rsquo;ll start to feature in some of those videos.&rdquo;
<h2>Preparing for world title defence</h2>
Peters&rsquo; performance at the Olympic Games still weighs heavy on his mind.
An 80.42m throw in qualifying placed him 15th overall, not enough to advance to the final. Although he knew he wasn&rsquo;t at his best following prolonged rehab from knee surgery, Peters &ndash; as world champion &ndash; was hoping for much more.
And while he is very much focused on future goals, one of Peters&rsquo; first thoughts following his performance at the recent Diamond League meeting in Doha was one of &lsquo;what if&rsquo;.
&ldquo;My first throw here (in Doha) would have won Olympic gold in Tokyo, but I didn&rsquo;t even make the final there; I finished 15th,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I was really pissed. It motivated me a lot.&rdquo; 
<div><img style="max-width: 900px; width: 100%; display: block;" src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/5b24cb89-1a0b-45cb-895b-e1440b3f99ca.jpg" alt="Anderson Peters, world javelin throw champion at the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019" />
Anderson Peters, world javelin throw champion at the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019 (&copy; Getty Images)
</div>
 His first goal was to get fully fit. Just 11 days after he won the world title in 2019, Peters underwent surgery on his knee. Part of the bone near to his kneecap was aggravating his IT band, so he had it operated on. Although the cause of the problem was rectified, his knee still wasn&rsquo;t at full strength for the whole of 2021.
&ldquo;But when I started training again in November last year,&rdquo; Peters says, &ldquo;it actually felt pretty good. And as soon as we got to January, I could feel it was finally back to normal again.&rdquo;
Since then, Peters has been training well back in Grenada with his long-term coach Paul Phillip.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t expect things to be clicking immediately, but the hard work has already started to pay off,&rdquo; says Peters. &ldquo;I spoke to my coach after the competition (in Doha) and he wasn&rsquo;t expecting me to throw any farther than 89 metres. He was expecting 87-88 metres.&rdquo;
Peters will compete in a few more Wanda Diamond League and Continental Tour Gold meetings &ndash; including the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava on 31 May &ndash; in the lead-up to the World Championships. His main goal, though, is to win at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m trying not to put myself under pressure,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;There aren&rsquo;t many javelin throwers who have successfully defended their world title, so I&rsquo;m trying to become one of the few who has actually retained it.&rdquo; 
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 Still only 24 years of age, Peters knows he&rsquo;ll have many more opportunities to compete at global championships. His Czech rivals Vadlejch and Vesely &ndash; and their coach Zelezny, the world record-holder &ndash; have shown that, with smart training, javelin throwers can enjoy a long and successful career.
&ldquo;Jakub is way older than I am, and he&rsquo;s still throwing far,&rdquo; said Peters. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s coached by Jan Zelezny and I respect him and Vitezslav as throwers; at championships you cannot count out these guys. At championships they go crazy, they&rsquo;re really good throwers. They&rsquo;re getting older, but it also seems like they&rsquo;re getting better.
&ldquo;Zelezny threw 85 metres at 40 years old. That&rsquo;s crazy. Jakub and Vitezslav (who threw 85.44m at age 38 to earn bronze in Tokyo) may even do better than that.
&ldquo;I know the potential is there to have a long successful career,&rdquo; adds Peters. &ldquo;The important thing is to stay healthy and stay focused.&rdquo;
When Peters won the world title back in 2019, some viewed it as something of a surprise &ndash; despite the fact that he had been undefeated for the whole year. He has started 2022 in much the same way, with a string of four victories so far.
Whether he maintains that streak up to and including the World Championships is of no real concern to Peters. He simply wants to make sure he advances to the final and then wins gold.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t care too much if people described me as a surprise winner back in 2019,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I went that whole year undefeated and threw a PB of 87.31m &ndash; that distance would have got me a gold medal at most major championships over the years.
&ldquo;It all comes down to what you can bring to the table on the day of the championships final. It doesn&rsquo;t matter what you did in qualification or earlier in the season; it&rsquo;s all down to what happens that day.
&ldquo;Everybody starts that day equal,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;And the best on that day is going to win.&rdquo;
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Anderson Peters is delighted to move to fifth on the world all-time list, but his main goal is to win gold in Oregon

One big throw for Peters, one small step towards Oregon

Organisers of the Paavo Nurmi Games have announced that three winners of global titles will go head-to-head-to-head in the men&rsquo;s javelin at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Turku on 14 June.
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra will take on world champion Anderson Peters and 2017 world champion Johannes Vetter. Julian Weber, the fourth-place finisher at the Tokyo Olympic Games, adds further depth and quality to the event.
It will be the first time all four men have met in a final.
Chopra made history when he won in Tokyo last year, earning India&rsquo;s first Olympic gold medal in athletics and instantly becoming a sporting superstar in his home country. Earlier in the season he had broken his own national record with 88.07m.
Before the Olympics, Vetter had dominated the event for the best part of two years. The German moved to second on the world all-time list when he threw 97.76m in Silesia in 2020. He returned to the Polish region last year and came close to matching that throw with 96.29m, the third-best throw in history.
Although Peters went undefeated for the whole of 2019, the Grenadian was still something of a surprise winner of the world title in Doha that year. Earlier in the season he had won the NCAA title, then broke his own national record to win at the Pan-American Games with 87.31m.
Weber may not have a global title to his name, but he is a consistent performer on the circuit and at major championships. The German, who has a PB of 88.29m, was sixth at the 2019 World Championships and placed second at the 2021 Wanda Diamond League final.
&ldquo;We can expect a world championship-level competition,&rdquo; said Arttu Salonen, who is in charge of recruiting athletes for the Paavo Nurmi Games. &ldquo;Negotiations are still under way with several international stars, and we are also after the Finnish top names with Lassi Etel&auml;talo leading the way.
&ldquo;Since Chopra did not compete after the Tokyo Olympic Games, there will surely be great tension in the upcoming clashes between Vetter and Chopra.&rdquo;
Finland &ndash; and Turku in particular &ndash; is a place where fans appreciate the javelin.
&ldquo;The previous results from Paavo Nurmi Stadium speak for themselves,&rdquo; said Salonen. &ldquo;The year before last, Vetter won in Turku with a throw of 91.49m, while last year, Marcin Krukowski threw a Polish record of 89.55m.&rdquo;
Organisers for World Athletics

Three winners of global titles will go head-to-head-to-head in the men’s javelin at the Paavo Nurmi Games

Chopra, Vetter and Peters to clash in Turku

The latest edition of the World Athletics Podcast brings together three legends of the javelin, with Neeraj Chopra and Julius Yego joined by host Steve Backley.
Since 2015, there have been men&rsquo;s javelin winners from four different continents at the five global senior championships, demonstrating the diversity in the event. Two of those champions &ndash; India&rsquo;s Olympic champion Chopra and Kenya&rsquo;s world gold medallist Yego &ndash; recently came together virtually with Great Britain&rsquo;s three-time Olympic and two-time world medallist Backley to talk everything about the discipline.
With his victory in Tokyo last year, Chopra became India&rsquo;s first ever Olympic champion in athletics. Although he had previously made history for his nation when breaking the world U20 record to win India&rsquo;s first gold medal at the World U20 Championships in 2016, his win in Tokyo launched him to superstardom.
&ldquo;India has not really ever had such an achievement in athletics or the javelin, so it has been huge, a very warm reception," explained Chopra, speaking from Delhi. "And, of course, India has a lot of people, so the following on social media has also been quite high because of that." 
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Download the full podcast for free via <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/world-athletics-podcast/id1340268954" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iTunes</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/7vIXY6UZTkopeqoMsV4aQN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>.
All past episodes, including links to the podcast on a range of streaming platforms, can be found on <a href="https://audioboom.com/channels/4942781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audioboom</a>.
</div>
 Yego&rsquo;s win at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing was also monumental and, reflecting on that success and his journey to becoming a javelin thrower in a country that is renowned for distance running, the 33-year-old said: &ldquo;This is the talent I have. It&rsquo;s a God-given talent and I needed to do it.
"The turning point was in 2004 during the Olympics when I watched Andreas (Thorkildsen) beat the world record-holder, Jan Zelezny, and I had the feeling that &lsquo;I can do it as well&rsquo;. I was in high school and that was the year that I started focusing on the javelin.&rdquo;
Chopra also had great belief in his ability from the moment he picked up the implement.
&ldquo;When I first threw the javelin, it left my hand and I felt at one with the javelin,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I knew it was what I wanted to do. At that time, I didn&rsquo;t think about becoming a professional athlete or an Olympic champion, I just really enjoyed doing it.&rdquo;
Both were inspired by the performances of javelin greats before them, and videos of Backley were among those they would watch.
&ldquo;I like the elasticity you had,&rdquo; Yego told Backley,&nbsp;from his base in Eldoret. &ldquo;You are tall, yes, and I am short, but that elasticity of the hand, the flexibility of the shoulders and the hips. The movement of the hips was really interesting to me and I wanted to do that.
"I was watching YouTube videos of the javelin greats and that is where it started. I still watch my YouTube videos.&rdquo;
With the World Championships taking place in Oregon later this year, Chopra and Yego will have the chance to go head-to-head on the global stage. Adding a medal from that event to his collection is a big motivation for 24-year-old Chopra.
&ldquo;It is a big year, with the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I am waiting to get back to full fitness and I am going to be working on my training with that in mind.&rdquo;
So what advice does Yego have for the newly-crowned Olympic champion Chopra, having the experience of winning his global gold back in 2015?
&ldquo;Focus is the main thing," he said. "After a major championship like that, don&rsquo;t let it get into your head.
&ldquo;I told him in Tokyo, in the final when you are feeling ok &ndash; throw far, that is the only way to win the major championships!&rdquo;
&ldquo;That is the soundbite that I am going to remember for a long time: when you feel good, throw far,&rdquo; replied Backley with a smile.
&ldquo;Keep it simple, that is the challenge of this event. It becomes your life, but it&rsquo;s about keeping it simple.&rdquo;
World Athletics

The latest edition of the World Athletics Podcast brings together three legends of the javelin, with Neeraj Chopra and Julius Yego joined by host Steve Backley.

World Athletics Podcast – javelin special

A look back at the key moments of 2021 in the throws events

2021 review: throws

Neeraj Chopra's ambition is to inspire the next generation of javelin stars, and his performances &ndash; including his Olympic title win in Tokyo &ndash; have helped to launch the sport into the spotlight.
Here the 24-year-old, who this year became India&rsquo;s first ever Olympic champion in athletics, shares his top five tips for beginner javelin throwers. 
<h2>1 Make the most of the facilities you have</h2>
&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t need to have the most fancy facilities to train in. Wherever you are, whatever facility you have, just keep training and keep at it.&rdquo;
Growing up, no one did athletics in Chopra&rsquo;s home village. For a long time, he didn&rsquo;t even know what a javelin was. That changed when he became a teenager and he would go to the local sports stadium to run and be active.
&ldquo;One day at the stadium, I saw some others throwing the javelin so I tried it out,&rdquo; he told <a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/neera-chopra-javelin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spikes</a>. &ldquo;Within 10 days, I was throwing 40-45 metres and others started to tell me I had a natural talent for it.&rdquo;
<h2> 2 Have patience</h2>
&ldquo;In a sport like javelin, you need to give yourself time to make things happen, so be patient.&rdquo;
About five years after taking up javelin throwing, Chopra broke the world U20 record in Bydgoszcz to win India&rsquo;s first ever gold medal at the World Athletics U20 Championships. Another five years later, Chopra became India&rsquo;s first ever Olympic champion in athletics as he gained gold in Tokyo with a throw of 87.58m. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61c58b5aea29f7fc1ef31561.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
<h2> 3 Work hard</h2>
&ldquo;There are no shortcuts to success, as they say. So, keep the grind, keep at it, and put in the hard work.&rdquo;
Chopra has said it took him at least two years to learn the proper technique for javelin throwing. In the lead up to Tokyo, he would train for six or seven hours some days, with lighter sessions in the morning and heavier work in the evenings. He would have Wednesday and Saturday evenings off, with Sunday being a rest day.
&ldquo;Most of the other times I&rsquo;m working on something, from strength and conditioning to gymnastics to technical training,&rdquo; he explained.
<h2> 4 Have a good guide</h2>
&ldquo;Because javelin is a technical event, make sure you have somebody with you like a good coach or an experienced mentor who can guide you and show you that you are going the right way.&rdquo;
Chopra was coached by Gary Calvert to his world U20 title and for the past few years has been working with biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/61c58b1cea29f7fc1ef3155e.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
<h2> 5 Have self belief</h2>
&ldquo;Lastly and most importantly, believe in yourself. Have faith in your own ability, and your ability to do well for yourself and for your country.&rdquo;
Chopra is passionate about the future of javelin throwing and athletics in his country and hopes his performances, including his major title wins, encourage children to take up the sport.
&ldquo;I see so much potential for Indians with the javelin,&rdquo; he has said. &ldquo;To succeed you need strength and speed, and Indian kids have that. I think, more and more, they'll see what we&rsquo;re achieving and be inspired to pick up a javelin themselves.&rdquo;
World Athletics Be Active

India’s first ever Olympic champion in athletics shares his top tips for beginner javelin throwers.

Chopra's top five javelin tips

The final throw was taken and only then could Neeraj Chopra breathe a sigh of relief.
With a mark of 87.58m at the Tokyo Games, the 23-year-old had launched himself to sporting superstardom as he became India&rsquo;s first ever Olympic champion in athletics.
It was a moment so monumental that 7 August will now be celebrated as National Javelin Day in his home country.
&ldquo;It feels unbelievable,&rdquo; Chopra said later. &ldquo;This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it&rsquo;s a proud moment for me and my country.&rdquo;
But it was not the first time Chopra had made history for his nation. 
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 Five years earlier, the rising javelin star had broken the five-year-old world U20 record in Bydgoszcz to win India&rsquo;s first ever gold medal at the World U20 Championships. As the next generation gets ready to compete at the 2021 edition of the age group event in Nairobi, Kenya, from 17-22 August, Chopra hopes his performances have helped to inspire.
&ldquo;I am feeling good that the AFI (Athletics Federation of India) is marking my achievement to be remembered in the years to come,&rdquo; Chopra said, following the AFI&rsquo;s National Javelin Day announcement. &ldquo;I will be happier if my gold medal win inspires youngsters to take to athletics, especially javelin throw.&rdquo; 
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<h2>National heroes</h2>
Neeraj Chopra made history as the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics. Other stars to have achieved a similar feat for their nation include:
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<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/05c67e83-213e-4da1-a327-b4758878ea35.jpg?cachebuster=591c8c02-a585-4732-841d-b16daf927704" align="right" />Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, 100m hurdles &ndash; Puerto Rico
In 2016, Camacho-Quinn was left heartbroken after she hit a hurdle and missed out on the Olympic final in Rio. Five years later she gained redemption in Tokyo as she clocked 12.37 to win 100m hurdles gold - Puerto Rico&rsquo;s first Olympic title in athletics. 
<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/71d81cfc-3b6e-4bb6-994e-466a9fe5f153.png?cachebuster=6a09197a-ffda-48d1-bfda-4837c6969b21" align="right" />Caterine Ibarguen, triple jump &ndash; Colombia
After claiming silver at the 2012 Olympics in London, Ibarguen went one better in Rio four years later. Leaping 15.17m she added Olympic triple jump gold to her world title wins from 2013 and 2015 to gain Colombia&rsquo;s first ever Olympics athletics win. 
<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/3f41a6da-2d00-47ba-abaa-ee5d7f5d60a3.jpg?cachebuster=89d9cd8a-bf2e-4cae-84a2-801f7b8301e5" align="right" />Kirani James, 400m &ndash; Grenada
Grenada has won three medals at the Olympic Games and they have all been claimed in athletics, and all by the same athlete. James won gold in 2012 in London and added silver from Rio in 2016 before completing the set with his bronze claimed in Tokyo.
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<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/a762912a-57b1-451f-bc97-18bdb8e19393.jpg?cachebuster=5a3dbbb3-969a-4d0a-848c-5961c5325a7f" align="right" />Jefferson Perez, 20km race walk &ndash; Ecuador
Perez won Ecuador's first ever Olympic medal when he claimed the 20km race walk title at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. Twelve years later the three-time world champion doubled his nation&rsquo;s Olympic medal tally by securing silver in Beijing. 
<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/4aa2d029-22b6-4f4c-b2db-e48722ebd68f.jpg?cachebuster=984cf10c-6f4b-4ed9-9783-f5ad8157fb76" align="right" />Ghada Shouaa, heptathlon &ndash; Syria
One year after winning the world heptathlon title in Gothenburg, Shouaa became Syria&rsquo;s first Olympic champion thanks to her win in Atlanta. Syrian athletes have claimed a total of four medals across all sports at the Games but Shouaa&rsquo;s remains the only gold so far. 
<img style="width: 90px; height: 90px; border-radius: 50%; margin-left: 20px;" src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/eed960f1-d2c4-4ef1-9481-8a5974796a68.jpg?cachebuster=3cd23e6f-d781-4f0b-bfdd-5fb4aa36a89d" align="right" />Venuste Niyongabo, 5000m &ndash; Burundi
Niyongabo had established himself was one of the world's top middle-distance runners in the early 1990s but then stepped up to the 5000m for the 1996 Olympics. In what was just his third race over the distance, he struck gold to win Burundi's first Olympic medal.
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 The impact has already been felt. Just like the spear he throws, Chopra&rsquo;s profile has soared following his latest achievement. Prior to the Olympics, the Asian and Commonwealth champion had 143,000 followers on Instagram. Now he is the most followed track and field athlete in the world with an incredible 3.5 million.
&ldquo;Still processing this feeling,&rdquo; he wrote in his most recent post. &ldquo;To all of India and beyond, thank you so much for your support and blessings that have helped me reach this stage.
"This moment will live with me forever.&rdquo;
<h2>Natural talent</h2>
Chopra&rsquo;s javelin journey started in 2011 when the 13-year-old son of farmers joined a local sports group to be active. &ldquo;I was an overweight child, one who got picked on by my peers because of it,&rdquo; he <a href="https://spikes.worldathletics.org/post/neera-chopra-javelin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Spikes</a>. &ldquo;That hurt my confidence, but as time went on, as I became stronger, fitter, I felt it return.
&ldquo;One day at the stadium, I saw some others throwing the javelin so I tried it out. Within 10 days, I was throwing 40-45 metres and others started to tell me I had a natural talent for it.&rdquo;
He never looked back and Chopra&rsquo;s win at the 2016 World U20 Championships was a major milestone. &ldquo;Up until then, no one in India really knew about the javelin,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;But that sparked a change.&rdquo; 
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<h2>World U20 gold to Tokyo triumph</h2>
Neeraj Chopra is one of 13 former world U20 champions to have won Olympic gold in Tokyo.
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<td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top;">
Mutaz Barshim, Qatar World U20 &ndash; high jump 🥇 Moncton 2010 Olympic &ndash; high jump 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Selemon Barega, Ethiopia World U20 &ndash; 5000m 🥇 Bydgoszcz 2016 Olympic &ndash; 10,000m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda World U20 &ndash; 10,000m 🥇 Eugene 2014 Olympic &ndash; 5000m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/LargeL/2560f43c-e9e3-4daf-84a7-64bb32d457d6.jpg?cachebuster=8050d087-7806-4201-9683-ad75ee985e84" alt="" width="100%" />
Michael Cherry, USA World U20 &ndash; 4x400m 🥇 Eugene 2014 Olympic &ndash; 4x400m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Neeraj Chopra, India World U20 &ndash; javelin 🥇 Bydgoszcz 2016 Olympic &ndash; javelin 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Mondo Duplantis, Sweden World U20 &ndash; pole vault 🥇 Tampere 2018 Olympic &ndash; pole vault 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Lynna Irby, USA World U20 &ndash; 4x100m and 4x400m🥇 Bydgoszcz 2016 Olympic &ndash; 4x400m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
</td>
<td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top;">
Faith Kipyegon, Kenya World U20 &ndash; 1500m 🥇 Barcelona 2012 Olympic &ndash; 1500m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Square/91303b92-6121-4eb4-9060-87ff6b61d32d.png?cachebuster=496c28e4-500d-484a-8a52-d0778b824053" alt="" width="100%" />
Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Bahamas World U20 &ndash; 400m 🥇 Moncton 2010 Olympic &ndash; 400m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Michael Norman, USA World U20 &ndash; 200m and 4x100m 🥇 Bydgoszcz 2016 Olympic &ndash; 4x400m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Pedro Pichardo, Portugal World U20 &ndash; triple jump 🥇 Barcelona 2012 Olympic &ndash; triple jump 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Kaylin Whitney, USA World U20 &ndash; 200m and 4x100m 🥇 Eugene 2014 Olympic &ndash; 4x400m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
Briana Williams, Jamaica World U20 &ndash; 100m and 200m 🥇 Tampere 2018 Olympic &ndash; 4x100m 🥇 Tokyo 2020
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
 Chopra, who was coached by Gary Calvert to his world U20 title and then teamed up with Klaus Bartonietz, went on to claim his Asian title in 2017 before Commonwealth and Asian Games gold in 2018. But then, while training for the 2019 World Athletics Championships, he was struck with injury which required surgery on his throwing arm. He returned in 2020 but then the world went into lockdown.
One year later, he announced his comeback with a national record-breaking throw of 88.07m in Patiala.
&ldquo;In my years in the sport, there&rsquo;s been a huge change in how the javelin and athletics in general is seen in India, and the result is that the competitions have not just a lot more quantity, but more quality,&rdquo; explained Chopra, who was joined on the Indian team in Tokyo by Shivpal Singh.
&ldquo;I see so much potential for Indians with the javelin. To succeed you need strength and speed, and Indian kids have that. I think, more and more, they'll see what we&rsquo;re achieving and be inspired to pick up a javelin themselves.&rdquo;
The next signs of this could come in Nairobi, where India is represented by national U20 champion Kunwer Ajai Raj Singh Rana and silver medallist Jay Kumar.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Neeraj Chopra has launched himself to sporting superstardom

Chopra, from world U20 champion to Olympic gold

Neeraj Chopra made history in the javelin by becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in athletics.
But the biggest surprise of the competition was not so much that Chopra won; it was that world leader Johannes Vetter finished down in ninth and didn&rsquo;t make the cut to compete in the last three rounds.
Not to take anything away from Chopra&rsquo;s victory, though, as he produced the two best throws of the competition.
He opened with 87.03m to take an early lead, while Germany&rsquo;s Julian Weber went into second with 85.30m. Vetter, meanwhile, opened with 82.52m &ndash; a solid enough mark by anyone&rsquo;s standards other than his own.
Chopra continued to apply the pressure on the rest of the field, improving to 87.58m in the second round.
The third round brought some of the biggest marks of the competition as 2013 world champion Vitezslav Vesely of the Czech Republic produced his best throw for six years, sending his spear out to 85.44m to move into second place.
In the same round, Pakistan&rsquo;s Arshad Nadeem landed an 84.62m throw, Aliaksei Katkavets of Belarus threw 83.71m and Finland&rsquo;s Lassi Etelatalo managed 83.28m. Vetter, however, recorded another foul, and after the efforts of all the other finalists, the German was in ninth and would play no further part in the final.
Following a relatively uneventful fourth round, 2017 world silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch produced his best throw for three years to move into the silver medal position with 86.67m, pushing Weber out of the medals. The German tried to respond, but his 85.15m wasn&rsquo;t quite enough to improve his position.
Neither Weber nor the two Czech throwers improved in the final round, as Chopra&rsquo;s victory was confirmed. He ended his series with an 84.24m effort before heading off to celebrate his gold medal, shaking his head in disbelief as he made his way off the track.
&ldquo;This feels awesome,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;My training leading into this competition was good. We were very ready for the Olympics. After the qualifying round, I felt very good.
&ldquo;I feel a bit bad about Vetter, he&rsquo;s a great thrower,&rdquo; added Chopra. &ldquo;But I also had to focus on my throws. I can&rsquo;t explain it, it&rsquo;s an awesome feeling.&rdquo;
For just the second time in history, 10 men threw beyond 82 metres.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
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<tr>
<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">MEN'S JAVELIN MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Neeraj Chopra 🇮🇳 IND</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">87.58m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Jakub Vadlejch 🇨🇿 CZE</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">86.67m SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Vitezslav Vesely 🇨🇿 CZE</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">85.44m SB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/results/men/javelin-throw/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

Neeraj Chopra made history in the javelin by becoming the first Indian to win an Olympic gold in athletics.

Javelin champion Chopra wins India’s first Olympic gold in athletics

The first throw was all Liu Shiying needed to secure China&rsquo;s first Olympic javelin gold medal.
Liu unleashed a season&rsquo;s best 66.34m in the opening round, an effort that stood up the rest of the way in Friday night&rsquo;s final, good enough to make her the Tokyo Games champion.
It was China&rsquo;s first javelin medal of any kind at the Olympics, and the first for an Asian country.
&ldquo;It means a lot to me and my country,&rdquo; the 27-year-old said. &ldquo;2020 was a very difficult year for me because of injury and the pandemic.&rdquo;
World-leader and title favourite Maria Andrejczyk of Poland took silver with a throw of 64.61m, while world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia claimed bronze with a season&rsquo;s best 64.56m on her sixth and final effort.
Liu won silver at the World Championships in Doha in 2019, but was only the sixth best qualifier coming into the Olympic final with a best of 61.95m in the first round.
Liu, whose only other valid throw on Friday was a third-round effort of 63.40m, won China&rsquo;s second athletics gold in Tokyo after Gong Lijiao claimed the women&rsquo;s shot put title last Sunday.
Barber, 29, became the second Australian woman to win an Olympic medal in the event after Louise Currey took silver in 1996. Barber&rsquo;s best effort was exactly two meters short of the throw that gave her the world title in 2019.
&ldquo;I never stopped fighting for the gold but tonight I'm so proud to come away with the bronze after some really challenging times this year,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I threw a season's best out there, so I gave it everything I had."
The winners of the past three Olympic javelin titles &ndash; defending champion Sara Kolak and two-time champion Barbora Spotakova &ndash; failed to make the final.
Looking at the bigger picture, Barber said she hoped the Tokyo Games &ndash; postponed a year by the Covid-19 pandemic &ndash; would deliver a lasting message.
"These Olympics have been amazing,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;We've inspired people which is exactly what we want to do with the Olympic Games. We need to keep pushing forward now, to keep going, to keep bringing sport to the people."
Steve Wilson for World Athletics
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 75%; border-color: #ffffff; border-style: solid;" border="1" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3">
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<td style="background-color: #fd5249; text-align: center;" colspan="3">WOMEN'S JAVELIN MEDALLISTS</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #e9c968; text-align: center;">🥇</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #e9c968;">Liu Shiying 🇨🇳 CHN</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #e9c968;">66.34m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #ced4d9; text-align: center;">🥈</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #ced4d9;">Maria Andrejczyk 🇵🇱 POL</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #ced4d9;">64.61m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 10%; background-color: #bd895e; text-align: center;">🥉</td>
<td style="width: 60%; background-color: #bd895e;">Kelsey-Lee Barber 🇦🇺 AUS</td>
<td style="width: 30%; background-color: #bd895e;">64.56m</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background-color: #34495e; text-align: left;" colspan="3">&nbsp;&nbsp;<a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/results/women/javelin-throw/final/result" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full results</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;

The first throw was all Liu Shiying needed to secure China’s first Olympic javelin gold medal.

Liu wins China's first Olympic javelin gold

<h3 style="text-align: center;">Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS)</h3>
World javelin champion, 2018 Commonwealth silver medallist and 2014 Commonwealth bronze medallist
&nbsp;
<hr />
&nbsp;
Going back to my very first memory of watching the javelin at a state level meet, there was something immediately captivating about the event. I was aged 14 or 15 at the time and I liked the fact that a javelin thrower is not confined to a circle. There was an energy about using a runway, followed by the snap of the javelin and the way the javelin floated in the air.&nbsp;
I initially dabbled in the event, but it was from the age of 17 when I fell in love with javelin. I felt the event fitted me and I fitted the event. When I delivered the javelin, I felt an element of ease. I knew the event was going to work for me. In other athletics events, I had to work hard to achieve average results but the javelin felt more natural.
Over time, my passion for the event has evolved. I love the combination of power, strength, speed and skill that is necessary to be able to throw the javelin a long way.&nbsp;&nbsp;
When all is going well, each throw feels effortless. The timing comes together and you feel the spear snap off the fingers, the energy flows through the shaft and the javelin flies. Of course, not every day is a good day. On the bad days the event is really tough. Your timing may be off by a fraction of a second and you have to work hard to piece it altogether. But that is what I appreciate about javelin, it is such a humbling event. It is a technical event which is not just based on raw power but a certain finesse and beauty &ndash; like all the throws.
My manager explains it perfectly by describing javelin as like a &ldquo;relaxed explosion&rdquo;. In some ways that moment of release is a bit like a car crash, but it is important to remain relaxed. It is like being in a peaceful state in a moment of chaos.
I like challenging the body to do something that I&rsquo;ve never done before. I love that feeling in a competition of standing at the end of the runway, of feeling free. There is something really rewarding about every day working hard and being asked to bring my very best out in competition.
Steve Landells for World Athletics

There was something immediately captivating about the javelin.

Kelsey-Lee Barber: why I throw

<h2>Women's javelin</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391&amp;competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;sexCode=W&amp;disciplineCode=JT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/women/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/women/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/women/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/throws/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
Five years ago in Rio de Janeiro, Maria Andrejczyk came within two centimetres of the Olympic bronze medal in the women&rsquo;s javelin. This time, the 25-year-old Polish athlete comes into the Tokyo Games as one of the favourites for gold.
Andrejczyk staked her claim as the No.1 contender by unleashing a throw of 71.40m in Split, Croatia, in March &ndash; third on the world all-time list behind only the world record of the Czech Republic&rsquo;s Barbora Spotakova (72.28m) and Cuba&rsquo;s Osleidys Menendez (71.70m).
Andrejczyk, the European U20 champion in 2015, surprised many by leading the qualifying rounds in Rio with a national record throw of&nbsp; 67.11m &ndash; an effort that would have won in the final. But she just missed out on a medal with a best throw of 64.78m in the final as two-time Olympic champion Spotakova edged her for the bronze.
Andrejczyk went through a tough stretch after Rio, undergoing shoulder surgery and sitting out the 2017 season and falling fall short of her top form in 2018 with a best of 54.24m. She also was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer, and had successful surgery.
Dealing with a nagging elbow injury in 2019, Andrejczyk finished only 22nd at the World Championships in Doha with a modest throw of 57.68m. Then came an achilles injury that set her back yet again. The one-year postponement of the Tokyo Games played in Andrejczyk&rsquo;s favour, allowing her to recover from injury and return to peak form.
After her record-breaking throw in May, however, she didn't compete for the following six weeks. Since then her best mark has been 63.63m in&nbsp;Monaco, where she seemed to experience some discomfort in her throwing arm. And in her last competition before the Games, she threw 59.96m in Cetniewo.
Andrejczyk will be challenged by some familiar names, former champions and rising stars in Tokyo.
Defending champion Sara Kolak of Croatia won gold in Rio with a national record throw of 66.18m but, based on current form, does not look primed to retain her title. Since Rio, she had elbow surgery in 2018 and moved from Slovenia to Oslo to be coached by Norway&rsquo;s two-time Olympic champion&nbsp;Andreas Thorkildsen.
Kolak finished only seventh at the World Athletics Championships in Doha and has continued to struggle, managing a best throw this year of only 60.04m.
Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia is the world champion, having won in Doha with a throw of 66.56m. But she, too, has been below par with a season&rsquo;s best of only 61.09m. &nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/2536be2d-5c5f-4e0a-aa07-cbb27f643b44.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="635" />
 Leading contenders in Tokyo include Christin Hussong of Germany, the fourth-place finisher in Doha who threw 69.19m in Chorzow, Poland, in May at the European Team Championships, and US champion Maggie Malone, who has thrown a national record of 67.40m this year. Hussong has shown some good consistency this season, with three 66 metre-plus competitions before her 69.19m in Chorzow and a best of 66.63m since, while Malone also threw 66.82m in May.&nbsp;
China has never won an Olympic medal in the women&rsquo;s javelin but has several athletes who could chase podium places in Tokyo: Lyu Huihui, fourth on this year&rsquo;s world list at 66.55m; Liu Shiying, the world silver medallist who has a personal best of 67.29m; and Yu Yuzhen, who has thrown 64.98m this year.
And what about Spotakova, the world record-holder, three-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist in 2008 and 2012? The Czech athlete, who turned 40 in June, had her second child in 2018 and since then she has finished ninth at the World Championships in Doha and won at the recent Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
Don&rsquo;t count her out as she seeks to match her former coach and men&rsquo;s world record-holder Jan Zelezny by winning medals at four consecutive Olympics.
The women&rsquo;s javelin has produced many surprises at major championships over the years, so anything is possible in Tokyo.
Steve Wilson for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h2>Men's javelin</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;countryCode=&amp;disciplineCode=JT&amp;sexCode=M&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/men/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/javelin-throw/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/men/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/throws/javelin-throw/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/throws/javelin-throw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
To say Johannes Vetter has dominated the javelin in recent seasons would be something of an understatement.
He is the only man in the world to have thrown beyond 90 metres in the past 24 months. In fact, he has done so 18 times &ndash; including a record streak of seven competitions between April and June this year.
The 2017 world champion from Germany even threatened the world record last year, throwing 97.76m in Silesia to move to second on the world all-time list, just 62 centimetres shy of the long-standing world record set by Czech legend Jan Zelezny.
Vetter returned to the same venue for this year&rsquo;s European Team Championships and produced another monster effort, throwing a world-leading 96.29m. While he came just short of his lifetime best, Vetter&rsquo;s incredible consistency beyond the 90-metre line this year has been phenomenal.
His run of 90-metre competitions ended at the recent Wanda Diamond League meeting in Gateshead, but he was still victorious (85.25m), extending his winning streak to 18 competitions.
But despite being so dominant, Vetter isn&rsquo;t short of motivation. He finished third at the 2019 World Championships, just 1.52m short of gold. At the Rio Olympic Games, meanwhile, he wound up fourth &ndash; an agonising six centimetres shy of the bronze medal-winning throw.
Sometimes surprising things can happen in the javelin, though. Few would have predicted that Trinidad and Tobago&rsquo;s Keshorn Walcott, an U20 athlete at the time, would win gold in 2012, but the teenager emerged the surprise victor.
Fast forward nine years and Walcott is still among the world&rsquo;s best. He picked up bronze in Rio in 2016 and this year has a season&rsquo;s best of 89.12m &ndash; the second-best throw of his career. He has also finished in the top three in all of his outings this year. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/07082d03-f804-464f-8b89-15fb3e3ef8ac.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="623" />
 Anderson Peters is another thrower who has landed a surprise global title. The Grenadian took the world title in Doha, having also landed Pan-American gold with a national record of 87.31m earlier in 2019. He heads to Tokyo with a season&rsquo;s best of 83.46m, but he knows how to produce big throws when it counts.
Commonwealth champion Neeraj Chopra was forced to miss the 2019 World Championships due to injury, but the Indian returned to form earlier this year, breaking his own national record with 88.07m. In Kuortane, in what was his final competition before heading to Tokyo, Chopra finished third behind Vetter and Walcott with 86.79m, underlining his medal potential.
Vetter&rsquo;s German teammate Julian Weber has been one of the more consistent throwers this year. The world and Olympic finalist threw a season&rsquo;s best of 84.95m in Lucerne a few weeks ago and has consistently placed in the top three in all of his contests this year.
Moldova&rsquo;s Andrian Mardare started the year in sensational form, throwing 86.66m in Split in May to finish second to Vetter. He has backed it up with a few more competitions in the mid-80s range, which could be where medals are won in Tokyo.
Marcin Krukowski&rsquo;s biggest throw of the year, a Polish record of 89.55m, came in Turku in early June. But at the Polish Championships two weeks later, he took just one throw. More recently, he managed 73.07m in Cetniewo in a competition in which he retired after a few throws. Hopefully the two-time world finalist was just taking things easy as a precaution and will be in top shape in Tokyo.
South Africa&rsquo;s Rocco van Rooyen has yet to reach a global championships final, but he will be buoyed by his 85.97m PB from earlier this year and his third-place finish in Turku.
Toni Kuusela is the leading hope from javelin-loving nation Finland. The 27-year-old set a PB of 85.03m last month, but will be making his Olympic debut in Tokyo.
Others capable of potentially hitting a big throw in what can often be an unpredictable event include Pakistan&rsquo;s Arshad Nadeem, Latvia&rsquo;s Gatis Cakss, Lithuania&rsquo;s Edis Matusevicius, USA&rsquo;s Michael Shuey and Belarusian duo Aliaksei Katkavets and Pavel Mialeshka.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Expected highlights in the women's and men's javelin.

Tokyo Olympics preview: javelin

Every athlete has a story.

100 ones to watch in Tokyo: long throws

Two decades after she made her first appearance at the meeting, world record-holder Barbora Spotakova notched up her 10th javelin victory at the Odlozil Memorial, winning with 60.21m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Prague on Monday (7).
In a contest that was held in memoriam of 1952 Olympic javelin champion Dana Zatopkova, Spotakova took the lead in the first round with 58.81m and then improved to 60.21m in the following round, coming within four centimetres of the season&rsquo;s best she had set just a few days prior.
The two-time Olympic champion from the Czech Republic rounded out her series with a 59.85m effort in the final round. Greek U20 thrower Elina Tzengko was second with 57.92m.
Spotakova, 39, first competed at the Odlozil Memorial as a teenager back in 2001, around about the time she was considering a switch from the heptathlon to the javelin. In 2007 she achieved her first victory at the meet, then set a meeting record of 68.81m there one year later. She went on to win seven more times at this meeting between 2009 and 2017 before adding a 10th triumph on Monday.
Pavel Mialeshka led a Belarusian 1-2 in the men&rsquo;s javelin. Aliaksei Katkavets held the early lead with his opening effort of 82.91m, but Mialeshka took the lead in round four with 85.06m, breaking his PB from four years ago. 2013 world champion Vitezslav Vesely was third with a season&rsquo;s best of 82.63m.
World finalist Iryna Zhuk added to the Belarusian success, winning the women&rsquo;s pole vault with 4.65m.
Namibian teenager Christine Mboma came from behind to win the women&rsquo;s 200m in a national and meeting record of 22.67 (1.2m/s). The 18-year-old overtook Gina Bass (22.76) and Beatrice Masilingi (22.82) in the closing stages.
Liberia&rsquo;s Emmanuel Matadi won the men&rsquo;s 100m in 10.07 (0.8m/s), holding off a strong challenge from Panama&rsquo;s 2009 world 200m silver medallist Alonso Edward (10.09).
In the men&rsquo;s 1500m &ndash; the specialist distance of 1964 Olympic silver medallist Josef Odlozil, after whom the meeting is named &ndash; was won by Kenya&rsquo;s Boaz Kiprugut in a PB of 3:35.26.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

Two decades after she made her first appearance at the meeting, world record-holder Barbora Spotakova notched up her 10th javelin victory at the Odlozil Memorial, winning with 60.21m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Prague on Monday (7).