OPTIMAL JAVELIN RELEASE

This paper reports a study of the optimal release of men's and women's new and old rule javelins involving modeling, simulation, optimizatio n (including sensitivity analysis), and simulation evaluation. Because of the lack of reproducibility in earlier results of two-dimensional flight simulation research, the paper presents a continuation of the t wo-dimensional model used previously. As expected, each javelin was fo und to have a different optimal release for a given individual, and th e optimal release varied with the thrower's nominal release speed. A l imited degree of simulation evaluation was achieved by comparison of t he model and simulation results with measured throws. Within the const raints of measurement error, this tended to support both the adequacy of the two-dimensional model and the results of the simulations for su ch high standard throws. However, further experimental studies to quan tify the angle of yaw (sideslip) in measured wind conditions are recom mended to assess any changes needed to the two-dimensional model of ja velin throwing and to determine the advisability of including this thr ee-dimensional aspect of javelin release in future simulations.