Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin , a spear about 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon . History The javelin throw was added to the Ancient Olympic Games as part of the pentathlon in 708 BC. It included two events, one for distance and the other for accuracy in hitting a target. The javelin was thrown with the aid of a thong ( ankyle in Greek) that was wound around the middle of the shaft. Athletes held the javelin by the ankyle , and when they released the shaft, the unwinding of the thong gave the javelin a spiral trajectory. Throwing javelin-like poles into targets was revived in Germany and Sweden in the early 1870s. In ...