Throwing the discus and the javelin safely

1Why this matters

The discus goes back to the ancient Greek Olympics; a famous statue, the Discobolus, shows a thrower from the fifth century BC. The javelin grew out of hunting and war. Both are now technical events where timing beats strength. They are also the only school activities where an object heavier than a bag of sugar flies through the air at speed, so the safety rules in this lesson are not optional.

2The discus

• Thrown from a circle 2.5 m in diameter. It must land inside a 34.92° sector marked out from the circle.
• Senior men throw a 2 kg discus and senior women a 1 kg discus; younger athletes use lighter ones, and schools often start with rubber discs.
• The thrower must not touch the top of the circle's rim or the ground outside it during the throw, and must leave from the back half of the circle only after the discus has landed.

Grip: lay your palm on the flat of the discus with the tips of your spread fingers curled over the rim and your thumb resting on top.

Standing throw (right-hander):

1. Stand at the front of the circle with your left shoulder towards the throw and your feet wider than your shoulders.
2. Swing the discus back at shoulder height, turning your shoulders to the right. Keep your arm long.
3. Drive from your right leg: turn your hips first, then your chest, and let the arm follow like the end of a whip.
4. Release at about shoulder height, letting the discus spin off your index finger, clockwise seen from above.
5. Recover by bringing your right foot forward, and stay inside the circle.

Advanced throwers add one and a half turns across the circle to build speed before the same release.

3The javelin

• Thrown from a runway 4 m wide, ending in a curved arc. The athlete must not touch the arc or the ground beyond it, and may leave the runway only after the javelin lands.
• It must be held at the cord grip and thrown overhand, over the shoulder or upper arm. You may not turn your back to the throwing direction.
• A throw counts only if the tip strikes the ground first, inside a 28.96° sector. It is measured from the arc to where the tip landed.
• The senior men's javelin weighs 800 g and the senior women's 600 g.

Technique (right-hander):

1. Grip at the cord with the javelin lying along your palm.
2. Run up with the javelin above your shoulder, its point level with your eyes.
3. Draw it back: extend your arm straight behind you, palm up, and turn your hips sideways as you do two or three crossover steps.
4. Plant your left leg firmly as a block. Hips, then chest, then arm, with the elbow high above the shoulder.
5. Release up and forward along the line of the javelin, then step through and stop behind the arc.

4Throwing safety: the rules every thrower follows

1. Throw only when the teacher gives the command, and only in one direction. Everyone else stands well behind the thrower.
2. Before throwing, check that the landing area is completely clear.
3. Nobody collects an implement until everyone has thrown and the teacher calls "collect". Walk out, never run.
4. Carry the javelin upright with the tip pointing down, or at your side with the tip on the ground. Never carry it over your shoulder or at head height.
5. Carry implements back. Never throw them back to the line.
6. Dry a wet discus and wipe your hand: a wet discus can slip out sideways.

Worked example: which throws count?

Keza's three javelin attempts:

Her best valid mark is 21.35 m. Her longest throw does not count, which is why a controlled finish behind the arc matters as much as power.

Practice

Solution. 2.5 m; 34.92°.

Solution. No. It must land inside the sector, so it is a foul.

Solution. She could be hit by the next throw. Nobody collects until everyone has thrown and the teacher calls "collect"; then everyone walks.

Solution. For example: the javelin is thrown from a runway behind an arc, the discus from a circle; the javelin must be thrown overhand and land tip first, while the discus has no rule on style; the sectors are 28.96° for the javelin and 34.92° for the discus.