Women's javelin throw at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
|
|||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Venue | Olympic Stadium | ||||||||||||
Date | 16–18 August 2016 | ||||||||||||
Competitors | 31 from 19 nations | ||||||||||||
Winning distance | 66.18 m NR | ||||||||||||
Medalists | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Sara Kolak | Croatia | ||
Sunette Viljoen | South Africa | ||
Barbora Špotáková | Czech Republic |
The women's javelin throw competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Olympic Stadium on 16–18 August. Each athlete received three throws in the qualifying round. All who achieved the qualifying distance progressed to the final. Each finalist was allowed three throws in last round, with the top eight athletes after that point being given three further attempts.
In the qualifying round, Maria Andrejczyk threw a Polish national record 67.11m, moving her to the # 16 thrower of all time. Of course, several women on that same list also qualified for the final, including world record holder and 2016 non-Russian world leader Barbora Špotáková. Vera Rebrik had thrown 67.30 in February, but Russia was on suspension.
Flor Ruiz started the final round with a 61.54 m. Two throws later Tatsiana Khaladovich raised the stakes to 62.68 m. Two throws later Andrejczyk displaced Ruiz with a 61.92. Sunette Viljoen moved on top with a 64.92 m. Near the top of the second round, Kathryn Mitchell almost matched it with a 64.36 to move into silver position. 2015 World silver medalist Lü Huihui moved into bronze position with a 63.50 m that lasted until the end of the round when two time defending champion Špotáková moved into the bronze position with a 63.73 m. Khaladovich came back in the third round with a 64.60 m to move into the silver spot. After the field dropped off returning bronze medalist Linda Stahl, 21 year old Sara Kolak threw 66.18 m (217 ft 1 in) to rocket from sixth to first. As second thrower in the fifth round, Andrejczyk threw 64.78 m to leapfrog from seventh to bronze medal position. That only lasted a few throwers until Špotáková threw 2 cm further.