List of all Olympics Women's Javelin Throw winners including gold, silver and bronze medalists.

Women's Javelin Throw

Javelin throw for women entered the Olympics at the 1932 Los Angeles Summer Games. They have been part of all subsequent Olympics.

Rules and Regulations
All rules and regulations governing the javelin throw event in the Olympics are specified by the International Association of Athletics Federations or the IAAF.
  • Only the throws in which the javelin point touches the ground first are recorded.
  • If the javelin lands on its tail, the throw is not recorded.
  • The IAAF specifies the length and the weight of the javelin used.
  • Every athlete is offered several chances to throw the javelin.
  • IAAF specifies the body movement of the javelin throwers during and after the throw.
  • The throw is measured from the point where the javelin reaches the ground.
  • If the javelin lands flat, the distance is marked from the back of the javelin.
  • Until the javelin thrown reaches ground, no athlete is allowed to leave the run-up area. Athletes can leave the competition area only with the judge's permission.
  • For deciding the winner of the competition, the best throw of the athletes are recorded.
Throwing a Javelin
The athletes prepares with a 'start and carry'. The athlete relaxes the muscles of the right shoulder, arm and wrist, thus allowing herself an easy running action. Then she starts running which is of 13 to 20 steps, reaches the final phase of the running actions and delivers the javeline.

For enhancing the velocity of the javelin, physical power is transferred to it. Faster the athlete runs, faster the javeline gets.

Top Performers
Women athletes who have performed well at the Olympics are Tiina Lillak, Trine Hattestad, Ruth Fuchs, Petra Felke, Heli Rantanen, Silke Renk, Angela Nemeth, Mihaela Penes, Elvira Ozolina, Inese Jaunzeme, Tilly Fleischer, Herma Bauma, Dana Zatopkova, Fatima Whitbread, Tessa Sanderson, Osleidys Menendez and Maria Colon.

Women's Javelin Throw Winners at Olympics

Year
Gold Silver Bronze
1932 Babe Didrikson
United States
Ellen Braumüller
Germany
Tilly Fleischer
Germany
1936 Tilly Fleischer
Germany
Luise Krüger
Germany
Maria Kwasniewska
Poland
1948 Herma Bauma
Austria
Kaisa PARVIAINEN
Finland
Lily Carlstedt
Denmark
1952 Dana Zátopková
Czechoslovakia
Aleksandra Chudina
Soviet Union
Yelena Gorchakova
Soviet Union
1956 Inese Jaunzeme
Soviet Union
Marlene Ahrens
Chile
Nadezhda Konyaeva
Soviet Union
1960 Elvira Ozolina
Soviet Union
Dana Zátopková
Czechoslovakia
Birute Kalediene
Soviet Union
1964 Mihaela Penes
Romania
Márta Rudas
Hungary
Yelena Gorchakova
Soviet Union
1968 Angéla Németh
Hungary
Mihaela Pene
Romania
Eva Janko
Austria
1972 Ruth Fuchs
East Germany
Jacqueline Todten
East Germany
Kathy Schmidt
United States
1976 Ruth Fuchs
East Germany
Marion Becker
West Germany
Kathy Schmidt
United States
1980 María Caridad Colón
Cuba
Saida Gunba
Soviet Union
Ute Hommola
East Germany
1984 Tessa Sanderson
Great Britain
Tiina Lillak
Finland
Fatima Whitbread
Great Britain
1988 Petra FELKE
East Germany
Fatima Whitbread
Great Britain
Beate Koch
East Germany
1992 Silke Renk
Germany
Natalia SHIKOLENKO
Unified Team
Karen Forkel
Germany
1996 Heli Rantanen
Finland
Louise McPaul
Australia
Trine Hattestad
Norway
2000 Trine Hattestad
Norway
Mirela Maniani
Greece
Osleidys Menéndez
Cuba
2004 Osleidys Menéndez
Cuba
Steffi Nerius
Germany
Mirela Manjani
Greece
2008 Barbora Špotáková
Czech Republic
Mariya Abakumova
Russia
Christina Obergföll
Germany
2012 Barbora Špotáková
Czech Republic
Christina Obergföll
Germany
Linda Stahl
Germany
2016 Sara Kolak
Croatia
Sunette Viljoen
South Africa
Barbora Špotáková
Czech Republic