Risks & Hazards Involved in Javelin Throwing

When taking part in javelin throwing, an athlete should take care to prevent injury. According to the book "Biomechanics in Sport: Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention" by Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky of the International Federation of Sports Medicine, “The throwing motion puts the anatomical structures under a great deal of torsional, shearing and impact forces, which can reach and exceed the tolerance limits." Not only is a javelin thrower susceptible to injuries common to all throwing activities, but also there are injuries specific to javelin throwing.

  1. Strained Muscles

    • Strained muscles typically occur in the shoulder, lower back and elbow. These are not only from excessive throwing, but also from using javelins that are too heavy.

    Dislocated Shoulder

    • In addition to the possibility of a strain, a javelin thrower’s shoulder may become dislocated. This is caused by traction stresses from excessive momentum on the shoulder. The excessive shoulder momentum is often from throwing with a straight arm with minimum forearm swing.

    Other Injuries

    • Additional injuries a javelin thrower may suffer, as listed on HowToThrowTheJavelin.com, include tripping while running and hitting oneself in the head while attempting to throw. Proper training can help an athlete avoid both of these issues.