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

[shotglass]

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.

 

[dreunc1542]

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.

 

[shotglass]

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.

 

[PhilaYank36]

Holy ****, 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.

 

[shotglass]

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

 

[dreunc1542]

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.

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.

 

[PhilaYank36]

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

Hot damn.

 

[shotglass]

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

 

[Smallpotatoes]

In high school, one of my teammates threw 219.

 

[shotglass]

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

 

[spnited]

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

 

[shotglass]

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

 

[dreunc1542]

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

It could also be that by dialing it back a little his form was much better and that improved his throw that much.

 

[spnited]

He did it on his second throw and took the rest of the night off. And his first throw was 20 feet better than anyone else.

 

[Claws for Concern]

Wow. Just wow.

 

[shotglass]

Here he is throwing 297 earlier this year.

 

[John]

Greer is a super guy. A bit of a wild man, but a great, great guy. He competed in the Athens Olympics with a torn ACL.

 

[markvid]

Here he is throwing 297 earlier this year.

Kinda lousy coverage there. just the throw, nothing in flight or where it landed.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I'm still waiting for it to load, third time I've clicked on it, waited two minutes each.

 

[Hustle]

Some of us may remember my old HS teammate as well - he won a Big 10 title at Penn State eight years or so ago. He was throwing 220ish then; I was 100 or so feet behind. (And just because some people are born with unreal athleticism, he's the same guy who won the World Long Drive championship a few years back.)

Shotty, the link you gave didn't want to load for me, but I watched a few of his others. It seems weird - not only from him, but from some of the other world-class guys - that we were always taught to throw with a much higher elbow, say nose level or so.

These guys have a much lower elbow which, I want to say, decreases the whip. But the arm speed is incredible.

God how I miss watching javelin.