The javelin is not soccer

I was shooting some file art at the state track championships last spring and after taking a shot, I kind of looked down at my camera. The javelin throw landed five feet directly behind me. And if I'd been impaled, I would have nobody to blame but myself.

Even worse, I used to throw it myself, so I definitely know better.

 

Doesn't the javelin stick into the ground by design? Why in the name of Johosefat do people need to stand in a field while fit athletes fling oversized lawn darts at them? The goddam thing makes a hole in the ground! Wait until it lands, then run out and measure it. It's not that goddam hard.

I have no sympathy for stupid people. Don't stand in the way of a five-foot dart.

 

DD, "civilians" definitely shouldn't be in the landing area. But at invitationals, you have 2-3 people in the landing area to mark and to return the javelins to sender. They step the wrong way, misjudge one, it's quite easy to happen.

 

Understood, but do javelins go scurrying off after they land, like a discus? I would think it'd be easy to stand out of the way and still know exactly where a javelin landed.

 

And Rosie's lookalike has what seems to be a badge around her neck, so she's not a civilian

 

Yes. Sometimes they do land in a more flat trajectory and skip along the ground. And sometimes the thrower chucks it out of bounds. I've seen javelines hit the track itself.

 

All right put your hands out so you can really look like Jesus

 

Damn, that's nasty.

 

From what I can see in the photo, that javelin had a sharper tip than most. They're usually rather rounded.

 

Jesus. Seriously. Some kind of warning on this thread would have been nice.

 

Yeah, I think for empathy you would have to know what she's feeling. But, hell, no sympathy either.

 

I will say this. Track and field competitions can be dangerous fucking places. Step on way and get steam-rolled by a sprinter. Step another way and get a javelin through your foot. Watch out because the hammer throw to the head could toll for thee. And no, I've never been injured at a track meet but I can pretty easily see how it happens. Be careful out there, people.