How has the design of the javelin been changed?
The men’s javelin was redesigned in 1984 to shorten the distance it could be thrown. The decision to shorten the jav was made by the International Amateur Athletic Association after East Germany’s Uwe Hohn crushed the previous world record of 99.72 m with a throw of 104.80 m. The distances reached by improving athletes were nearing the point where they could no longer be contained in the infield, and thus the decision was made to design the jav to “underperform.” By shifting the center of weight forward, the javelin’s tip tilts forward and comes down sooner, steepening the arc of flight and thus shortening the throws by about 10%.
