BODY SEGMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO JAVELIN THROWING DURING FINAL THRUST PHASES

This study investigated body segment contributions to javelin throwing during the last thrust phases. A 3-D analysis was performed on male a nd female javelin throwers during the finals of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. The subjects were videotaped from the right side of the throwing area by two NAC high-speed cameras operating at 100 frames p er second. Both men's and women's grip of javelin and body center of m ass displayed a curved pathway to the right from the left (bracing) fo ot during the final foot contact. The position of the body center of m ass decreased at the beginning of the final foot contact, but after th e decrease period it began to increase. Simultaneously with the increa se, the peak joint center speeds occurred in a proper sequence from pr oximal to distal segments and finally to the javelin at release. Relea se speed correlated significantly with throwing distance in both males and females.