THE MEN’S JAVELIN may have offered few surprises, but that didn’t make Anderson Peters any less impressive. The defending champion showed himself more than recovered from a disappointing Olympic outing last summer where he failed to make the final.
The favored 24-year-old Grenadan came to Eugene with 8 wins in 11 outings, as well as a national record 305-4 (93.07) he scored at the Doha Diamond League.
The Eugene proceedings started when Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India, the first thrower, stuck his point at about 260ft (c79m). Not good enough, so he stepped across the line.
Throwing ninth, Peters stepped up after Czech Jacob Vadlejch had thrown 280-7 (85.52) to make his initial podium bid. Showing notable speed for his large frame, Peters whipped his spear out to 295-11 (90.21), a mark that only he and Vadlejch have bettered this season. In WC history, that mark had only been topped 5 times. He held out his arms to the crowd, as if to emphasize his point.
Throwing last in the order, German Julian Weber hit 285-0 (86.86) to move into 2nd — it was a mark he could not approach again.
In round 2, Chopra finally got on the board with his 270-3 (82.39) to move into 4th. Vadlejch hit 286-2 (87.23) to take over the silver position. And Peters threw even farther, a 296-9 (90.46) that looked like it would never come down.
Chopra improved to (86.37) in round 3, but stayed in 4th. Vadlejch put silver farther away with his best of 289-0 (88.09). Peters, perhaps trying too hard to seal the deal, reached only 286-1 (87.21).
With the order reshuffled, Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem got into the mix with his 282-8 (86.16) for 5th. Chopra supplanted Vadlejch in 2nd by just 4cm with his 289-1 (88.13). Peters then threw 289-1 (88.11). The next round offered up no improvements, with Peters casting his shortest of the night at 281-7 (85.83).
Similarly, nothing much happened in the final stanza, until the very end, that is. After Chopra threw a pop fly on his attempt before slapping his hands over the line in frustration, Peters accepted the congratulations of his peers as he walked forward to select his implement. Then he strode to the runway, seemingly without a care in the world, unleashed his speed, and sent the spear flying.
Riding a flat trajectory that seemed to defy gravity, the javelin finally arced down at 297-0 (90.54); it was the third-best effort of his life. He turned to the crowd, palms up, and accepted their cheers.
“I was hoping for longer throws today,” he admitted. “But you know, I was not capable of it at the moment. So I just wanted to go out there and enjoy the event and to put on a show. Physically, I felt like I was OK. Most of the throwers prefer the wind from behind but today we had a headwind. So it was a bit challenging but I pulled it off.
“It was not really important to beat anyone but it was good to go there and have fun. The last attempt, I already knew I was a champion but I was working on my technique in every throw and I finally got it through.”
Curtis Thompson, like Peters an NCAA champion while at Mississippi State, became the first American since ’11 to make the final. He finished 11th at 257-2 (78.39).
MEN’S JAVELIN RESULTS
FINAL (July 23)
(temperature 77F/25C; humidity 43%)
1. Anderson Peters (Grn) 297-0 (90.54)
(295-11, 296-9, 286-1, 289-1, 281-7, 297-0) (90.21, 90.46, 87.21, 88.11, 85.83, 90.54);
2. Neeraj Chopra (Ind) 289-1 (88.13)
(f, 270-3, 283-4, 289-1, f, f) (f, 82.39, 86.37, 88.13, f, f);
3. Jakub Vadlejch (CzR) 289-0 (88.09)
(280-7, 286-2, 289-0, 273-11, 266-9, 271-11) (85.52, 87.23, 88.09, 83.48, 81.31, 82.88);
4. Julian Weber (Ger) 285-0 (86.86)
(285-0, 235-10, 239-6, f, 268-3, 274-0) (86.86, 71.88, 73.00, f, 81.76, 83.53);
5. Arshad Nadeem (Pak) 282-8 (86.16) (f, 246-6, 269-2, 282-8, 274-4, f) (f, 75.13, 82.05, 86.16, 83.63, f);
6. Lassi Etelätalo (Fin) 271-4 (82.70)
(256-9, 271-4, f, p, 264-9, 265-8) (78.27, 82.70, f, p, 80.71, 80.99);
7. Andrian Mardare (Mol) 269-10 (82.26)
(261-0, f, 269-10, 260-7, 265-11, f) (79.55, f, 82.26, 79.42, 81.07, f);
8. Oliver Helander (Fin) 269-10 (82.24)
(f, f, 269-10, f, f, f) (f, f, 82.24, f, f, f);
9. Genki Dean (Jpn) 264-8 (80.69)
(255-3, f, 264-8) (77.81, f, 80.69);
10. Rohit Yadav (Ind) 258-3 (78.72)
(255-9, 256-1, 258-3) (77.96, 78.05, 78.72);
11. Curtis Thompson (US) 257-2 (78.39)
(257-2, f, f) (78.39, f, f);
12. Ihab Abdelrahman (Egy) 249-3 (75.99)
(f, 238-8, 249-3) (f, 72.76, 75.99).
| * = progression of the leading throw; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Chopra | f | 82.39 | 86.37 |
| Vadlejch | 85.52* | 87.23 | 88.09¶ |
| Yadav | 77.96 | 78.05 | 78.72¶ |
| Nadeem | f | 75.13 | 82.05 |
| Dean | 77.81 | f | 80.69¶ |
| Abdelrahman | f | 72.76 | 75.99¶ |
| Mardare | 79.55 | f | 82.26¶ |
| Helander | f | f | 82.24¶ |
| Peters | 90.21* | 90.46* | 87.21 |
| Etelätalo | 78.27 | 82.70¶ | f |
| Thompson | 78.39¶ | f | f |
| Weber | 86.86¶ | 71.88 | 73.00 |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Nadeem | 86.16¶ | 83.63 | |
| Helander | f | f | |
| Mardare | 79.42 | 81.07 | |
| Etelätalo | p | 80.71 | |
| Chopra | 88.13¶ | f | |
| Weber | f | 81.76 | |
| Vadlejch | 83.48 | 81.31 | |
| Peters | 88.11 | 85.83 | |
| last round | |||
| Helander | f | ||
| Mardare | f | ||
| Etelätalo | 80.99 | ||
| Nadeem | f | ||
| Weber | 83.53 | ||
| Vadlejch | 82.88 | ||
| Chopra | f | ||
| Peters | 90.54*¶ | ||
QUALIFYING
(July 21; auto-qualifier 273-11/83.50)
Qualifiers: Peters 294-11 (89.91), Chopra 290-0 (88.39), Weber 286-4 (87.28), Vadlejch 279-7 (85.23), Abdelrahman 273-8 (83.41), Helander 270-4 (82.41), Dean 270-2 (82.34), Thompson 268-1 (81.73), Nadeem 268-1 (81.71), Mardare 265-2 (80.83), Yadav 263-10 (80.42), Etelätalo 262-6 (80.03);
Non-Qualifiers: Patriks Gailums (Lat) 261-4 (79.66), Julius Yego (Ken) 261-2 (79.60), Rolands Štrobinders (Lat) 260-5 (79.39), Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 258-9 (78.87), Manu Quijera (Spa) 257-11 (78.61), Toni Keränen (Fin) 257-7 (78.52), Kenji Ogura (Jpn) 257-6 (78.48), David Carreon (Mex) 254-7 (77.61), Cameron McEntyre (Aus) 254-3 (77.50), Leandro Ramos (Por) 253-9 (77.34), Johannes Grobler (SA) 250-4 (76.30), Tim Glover (US) 248-3 (75.68), Alexandru Novac (Rom) 246-9 (75.20), Cruz Hogan (Aus) 239-7 (73.03), Ethan Dabbs (US) 238-10 (72.81);… 3f — Andreas Hofmann (Ger).
