Javelin Throwers Research Articles

Enthesopathies (lesions of muscular insertions) as indicators of the activities of neolithic Saharan populations.

Enthesopathies are bony lesions involving the sites of insertion of muscles or ligaments. Those caused by hyperactivity of the relevant muscles may be distinguished clearly from those of metabolic or inflammatory origin. Observations from sporting and occupational medicine indicate that specific enthesopathies are correlated with different activities. Examination of the enthesopathies present on two groups of well-preserved neolithic skeletons from separate regions of the Sahara with different paleoenvironments show that overall 20% of the skeletons presented lesions. Three different forms of enthesopathy involved the arm, principally the elbow, and may be tentatively correlated with javelin throwing, wood cutting, and archery. Two types of lesion involving the foot were observed in skeletons from a hunter-gatherer population and may be correlated with much walking or running over hard ground. I suggest that the analysis of such lesions on ancient skeletons may, in concert with other archaeological data, throw light on the activities of ancient people.

Biomechanical Analysis of Olympic Javelin Throwers

A two-dimensional film analysis was performed on five men and six women finalists in the javelin throw of the Los Angeles Olympic Games of 1984. In addition to the great interindividual variation in the measured kinematic and kinetic parameters, the results indicated that in men the winner had the highest release velocity of javelin (29.12 m × s−1), and that a significant (p < .01) relationship could be obtained between the release velocity and throwing distance. Despite great variation in throwing distance in women (55.88 m - 69.56 m) the release velocities were in relatively small range (20.73 m × s−1 - 23.62 m × s−1). High impact loading was specific to the last foot contact on the ground. It was characterized by a short duration (0.032 s) and high velocity knee flexion (12.66 ± 2.11 and 12.27 ± 3.81 rad × s−1, respectively, for men and women). The respective knee extension velocities averaged 5.80 ± 2.00 and 7.60 + 5.17 rad × s−1. Despite the fact that a small number of analyzed world-class throws revealed only some biomechanical differences between good and poorer performance, the results can be used to identify some new criteria for successful performance in javelin throw.

Javelin throw optimization using computer simulation and trajectory instrumentation

Javelin throw optimization using computer simulation and trajectory instrumentation

Shoulder injuries in the javelin thrower

Shoulder injuries in the javelin thrower

Cinematographical analysis of javelin throwing techniques of decathletes.

Th purpose of this study was to analyse by correlational methods the biomechanical factors involved in achieving the maximal distance thrown in the javelin event. Twelve Swiss decathletes and two world class javelin specialists were filmed by a high speed (102 fps) 16 mm camera throwing a total of 20 trials. The co-ordinates of the resulting cyclograms were processed by a computer programme and the results submitted to correlational analysis. The highest correlation was 0.76 between velocity at release and distance thrown. Other negative correlations were found between distance thrown and angle of the javelin with the horizontal (0.52) and distance thrown and throwing hand to contralateral foot distance during the last strides (0.67). Javelin specialists, who had longer throws than decathletes (mean = 79.03 m versus 54.29 m), had a smaller difference between the angle of attack and angle of release. The results suggest that in order to attain maximal distance thrown the javelin thrower should achieve positive acceleration during the running approach, effective thrusting with th right leg on the penultimate stride and carry the javelin during the last strides at the optimal angle of release (32 to 36 degrees).

Epidemiologic Perspective on Shoulder Injuries

The type and incidence of shoulder injuries in baseball, swimming, football, and wrestling are discussed in detail; also mentioned are shoulder injuries in tennis, basketball, skiing, and javelin throwing.

反応時間と筋電図による各種スポーツ種目の上肢運動特性の解析

The electromyographic reaction time (EMG-RT) of biceps brachii muscle as an indicator of initiation of rapid forearm movement is reportedly different between flexion(F) and the supination (S), the EMG-RT of S being faster than that of F on both hands. Moreover, the EMG-RT difference between. F and S. (DFS) is considered to reflect the motor control system. The study undertaken here measured EMG-RTs of F and S among athletes of 12 different events which may or may not involue usage of their upper limbs (tennis, runnirig, soccer, fencing, table tennis, badminton, kendo, volleyball, gymnastics, shot put, discuss throw and javelin throw; 191 right handed subjects, 159 males and 32 females), and investigated the differences in the motor control systems between these sporting events. All subjects were asked to perform bilateral F and S responses by both forearms simultaneously to a peep sound as fast as possible. From results of different DFS_S, six sporting events (kendo, discuss throw, javelin throw, tennis, shot put and table tennis) were examined in EMG activities of both upper limbs in the movement specialities of these sporting events. Obtained results may be summaried as follows : 1. The DFS_S of' preferred hand were different among twelve sporting events but those of nonpreferred hand were not. 2: Twelve sporting events were possibly classified into three types. The first group was the type in which significantly dif'ferent DFS_s on the preferred hand was observed but not on the non-preferred hand (running, soccer, fencing, table tennis, badminton, volleyball and gymnastics). The second group was the type in which significantly different DFS_s was observed not only in the preferred hand but also in the non-preferred hand (tennis and shot put). The third group was the type in which no significantly different DFS_s was observed in both hands (kendo, discuss throw and javelin throw). 3. From EMG analyses of both upper limbs' movement specialities, specific EMG activities were observed in respective three types. From these results, presence of different motor control systems among 12 sporting events were suspected. The reasons of such different motor control systems were examined on the viewpoint of differential effects depending on motor learning of each sporting event and were discussed on the viewpoint of neuropsychological and motor behavioral mechanisms.

The TEPMA and the javelin in Pindar, Nemean vii 70–3, and Greek athletics

‘O Sogenes of the Euxenid clan, I swear that I did not, having stepped up to the line, hurl forth my tongue like a bronze-cheeked javelin which sends the neck and strength of limbs without sweat from the wrestling before the limb falls in the glare of the sun.’ Nem. vii 70–3)In the passage given above, Pindar employs the image of the javelin thrower to describe the kind of poet which he is. Within the simile there occurs the participial phrase, τέρμα προβαίς, which I translate as ‘having stepped up to the line’, the line here being the one from which the athlete throws the javelin and over which he cannot step without being penalised. However, before I present my reasons for this interpretation of the phrase, it will be helpful to explain more fully the meaning of the simile.First the image itself. The poet compares himself to a javelin thrower in order to assure the audience that his pronouncements do justice to the merits of the victor. In Greek athletics the javelin throw was one of the five contests which comprised the pentathlon, the other four event being the foot race, discus, long jump, and wrestling.

The Dynamics of Javelin Throw

Wolferman of West Germany won the 1972 World Olympic javelin throw with a throw of 296 ft 10 in. (90.47m). Lusis of the USSR came in second with a throw of 1 in. (2.5cm) less. Had he paid a little more attention to technical details, he could have won. In the present paper, five nonlinear, dynamic differential equations which describe a javelin in flight, the wind effect included, are derived, and a numerical solution is proposed. A case study shows that 3.31m (10.9 ft) could be added to the 1972 record by using a throw angle and initial javelin axis angle of 42 and 35 deg, respectively, instead of the conventional angles of 35 deg. Slightly modifying the contour of the javelin profile, legitimate within current NCAA rules, to move the center of the pressure drag forward to 0.8cm behind its center of gravity, instead of the present 25.7cm, gives an additional gain in range of 16.13m (52.9 ft).

Physique of female track and field athletes

A series of anthropometric dimensions were taken on 66 college age female track and field athletes and on 30 non-athlete college age (range: 17.6–25.0 years) females. The athletes were classified into five categories: sprinters; distance runners; junipers (including hurdlers); discus and javelin throwers; and shot-putters. The sprinters are short-legged and muscular, with especially muscular arms. The jumpers and hurdlers are longer-legged, muscular and linear in build, while the throwers are tallest and heaviest, with broad shoulders and hips, large muscles and more body fat. The distance runners are small, with narrow shoulders and hips, and slight in muscularity. The non-athletes are most like the distance runners in overall size. The controls, however, have more body fat and are slightly broader in build.

Greek Javelin Throwing

Field events are notoriously the Cinderellas of the athletic world, and this was as true in antiquity as in our own day. The Greeks practised three, long jump, discus, and javelin, and in their festivals did not accord them the status of separate events but grouped them, together with a foot race and wrestling, which were also solo events in their own right, in the pentathlon. This was first included in the Olympic programme in 708 b.c.; other festivals imitated Olympia, and, with the astonishing conservatism of the Greek athletic world, the pentathlon remained unchanged until the disappearance of the festivals a thousand years later.

JAVELIN THROWER'S ELBOW

1. Pain in the elbow in javelin throwers is a common complaint. 2. The commonest type is caused by recurrent strain of the medial ligament. It develops in individuals who employ an incorrect throwing technique. The symptoms are cumulative, increasing with throwing and decreasing and resolving with rest. Treatment consists in improving the throwing technique. Local anaesthetic injected into the tender area produces complete but temporary relief. Hydrocortisone may produce partial or complete relief. 3. A second type of "javelin elbow" occurs in expert throwers and is the result of hyperextension of the elbow at the end of the throw, causing an injury to the tip of the olecranon. The symptoms are the result of a single throw or "mal-throw" and are completely disabling. They resolve with rest but tend to recur. If the tip of the olecranon is fractured excision of the fragment completely relieves the symptoms.

Epicondylitis in Javelin Throwers

Epicondylitis in Javelin Throwers