That's some sp ... uh ... javelin-throwing

This ex-javelin thrower points out an American record in the event tonight ... 299-6 by Breaux Greer. Try to picture it ... goal line to goal line on a football field. Gasp.

 

I saw Chad Radgowski, now at LSU, throw it over 200 ft for a high school in Pittsburgh. That was something to see. I can't imagine a whole extra 100 feet on top of that.

 

That's my thought. Past few years, I've seen Radgowski, Thomas Jordan, Justin Ryncavage ... all in the PIAA meet. And gasped at 220-footers.

Incidentally, Radgowski threw 201 tonight ... and placed dead last.

 

Holy shit, that's pretty damn impressive. What's the world record? I was always impressed when I saw pitchers long-tossing, throwing from the wall in left-center to the right-field foul line, but a javelin is a completely different motion an set of mechanics.

 

Record has held up since 1996: 323-1, Jan Železný (Czech Republic), Jena, Germany 5/25/96.

 

Really? I thought he had been doing really well this year. In fact, I thought he had a few throws over 240 this past year. I could be completely wrong, though.

 

Hot damn.

 

He had to be doing well to qualify. Just a terrible 3-throw series tonight.

 

In high school, one of my teammates threw 219.

 

The guy who threw at my high school before me won the D-II national title his senior year ... at 235.

 

More impressive: Greer 299-6, 2nd place 246-3!

 

Isn't it, though? And get this, though I smell bullshit ... Greer later said that was a "75 percent" throw, because he wanted to be sure to get a mark.