Men · World record

Javelin Throw

The current record and its documented progression: 47 ratified records from 1912 to 1996.

Current record

98.48

Jan ŽeleznýCZEJena · 25 May 1996

30 years standing2.82 m improvementAll-time top 50 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record

1912 · 62.32 Eric Lemming1919 · 66.10 Jonni Myyrä1924 · 66.62 Gunnar Lindström1927 · 69.88 Eino Penttilä1928 · 71.01 Erik Lundqvist1930 · 71.57 Matti Järvinen1930 · 71.70 Matti Järvinen1930 · 71.88 Matti Järvinen1930 · 72.93 Matti Järvinen1932 · 74.02 Matti Järvinen1933 · 74.28 Matti Järvinen1933 · 74.61 Matti Järvinen1933 · 76.10 Matti Järvinen1934 · 76.66 Matti Järvinen1936 · 77.23 Matti Järvinen1938 · 77.87 Yrjö Nikkanen1938 · 78.70 Yrjö Nikkanen1953 · 80.41 Bud Held1955 · 81.75 Bud Held1956 · 83.56 Soini Nikkinen1956 · 83.66 Janusz Sidło1956 · 85.71 Egil Danielsen1959 · 86.04 Albert Cantello1961 · 86.74 Carlo Lievore1964 · 87.12 Terje Pedersen1964 · 91.72 Terje Pedersen1968 · 91.98 Jānis Lūsis1969 · 92.70 Jorma Kinnunen1972 · 93.80 Jānis Lūsis1973 · 94.08 Klaus Wolfermann1976 · 94.58 Miklós Németh1980 · 96.72 Ferenc Paragi1983 · 99.72 Tom Petranoff1984 · 104.80 Uwe Hohn1986 · 85.74 Klaus Tafelmeier1987 · 87.66 Jan Železný1990 · 89.10 Patrik Bodén1990 · 89.58 Steve Backley1990 · 89.66 Jan Železný1990 · 90.98 Steve Backley1991 · 91.98 Seppo Räty1991 · 96.96 Seppo Räty1990 · 89.58 Steve Backley1992 · 91.46 Steve Backley1993 · 95.54 Jan Železný1993 · 95.66 Jan Železný1996 · 98.48 Jan Železný 104.8062.32

19121933 · Järvinen 74.611961 · Lievore 86.741987 · Železný 87.661996 · Železný 98.48

Documented records

47 ratified · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372027228, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
98.48 Jan Železný CZE Jena, Germany 25 May 1996 30 yrs
95.66 Jan Železný CZE Sheffield, United Kingdom 29 Aug 1993 2 yrs
95.54 Jan Železný CZE Pietersburg, South Africa 6 Apr 1993 145 d
91.46 Steve Backley GBR North Shore City, New Zealand 25 Jan 1992 1 yr
96.96 Seppo Räty FIN Punkalaidun, Finland 2 Jun 1991 237 d
91.98 Seppo Räty FIN Shizuoka, Japan 6 May 1991 27 d
90.98 Steve Backley GBR London, England 20 Jul 1990 290 d
89.66 Jan Železný TCH Oslo, Norway 14 Jul 1990 6 d
89.58 Steve Backley GBR Stockholm, Sweden 2 Jul 1990 12 d
89.58 Steve Backley GBR Stockholm, Sweden 2 Jul 1990 0 d
89.10 Patrik Bodén SWE Austin, United States 24 Mar 1990 100 d
87.66 Jan Železný TCH Nitra, Czechoslovakia 31 May 1987 2 yrs
85.74 Klaus Tafelmeier FRG Como, Italy 21 Sep 1986 252 d
104.80 Uwe Hohn GDR East Berlin, East Germany 20 Jul 1984 2 yrs
99.72 Tom Petranoff USA Los Angeles, United States 15 May 1983 1 yr
96.72 Ferenc Paragi HUN Tata, Hungary 23 Apr 1980 3 yrs
94.58 Miklós Németh HUN Montreal, Canada 25 Jul 1976 3 yrs
94.08 Klaus Wolfermann FRG Leverkusen, West Germany 5 May 1973 3 yrs
93.80 Jānis Lūsis URS Stockholm, Sweden 6 Jul 1972 303 d
92.70 Jorma Kinnunen FIN Tampere, Finland 18 Jun 1969 3 yrs
91.98 Jānis Lūsis URS Saarijärvi, Finland 23 Jun 1968 360 d
91.72 Terje Pedersen NOR Oslo, Norway 2 Sep 1964 3 yrs
87.12 Terje Pedersen NOR Oslo, Norway 1 Jul 1964 63 d
86.74 Carlo Lievore ITA Milan, Italy 1 Jun 1961 3 yrs
86.04 Albert Cantello USA Compton, CA, United States 5 Jun 1959 1 yr
85.71 Egil Danielsen NOR Melbourne 26 Nov 1956 2 yrs
83.66 Janusz Sidło POL Milan, Italy 30 Jun 1956 149 d
83.56 Soini Nikkinen FIN Kuhmoinen, Finland 24 Jun 1956 6 d
81.75 Bud Held USA Modesto, CA, United States 21 May 1955 1 yr
80.41 Bud Held USA Pasadena, CA, United States 8 Aug 1953 1 yr
78.70 Yrjö Nikkanen FIN Kotka, Finland 16 Oct 1938 14 yrs
77.87 Yrjö Nikkanen FIN Karhula, Finland 25 Aug 1938 52 d
77.23 Matti Järvinen FIN Helsinki, Finland 18 Jun 1936 2 yrs
76.66 Matti Järvinen FIN Turin, Italy 7 Sep 1934 1 yr
76.10 Matti Järvinen FIN Helsinki, Finland 15 Jun 1933 1 yr
74.61 Matti Järvinen FIN Vaasa, Finland 7 Jun 1933 8 d
74.28 Matti Järvinen FIN Mikkeli, Finland 25 May 1933 13 d
74.02 Matti Järvinen FIN Turku, Finland 27 Jun 1932 332 d
72.93 Matti Järvinen FIN Viipuri, Finland 14 Sep 1930 1 yr
71.88 Matti Järvinen FIN Vaasa, Finland 31 Aug 1930 14 d
71.70 Matti Järvinen FIN Tampere, Finland 17 Aug 1930 14 d
71.57 Matti Järvinen FIN Viipuri, Finland 8 Aug 1930 9 d
71.01 Erik Lundqvist SWE Stockholm, Sweden 15 Aug 1928 1 yr
69.88 Eino Penttilä FIN Viipuri, Finland 8 Oct 1927 312 d
66.62 Gunnar Lindström SWE Eksjö, Sweden 12 Oct 1924 2 yrs
66.10 Jonni Myyrä FIN Stockholm, Sweden 25 Aug 1919 5 yrs
62.32 Eric Lemming SWE Stockholm, Sweden 29 Sep 1912 6 yrs

Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.