| | Event type

Javelin Throw, Men

Date	24 – 25 September 1988
Status	Olympic
Location	Ol-lim-pik Ju-gyeong-gi-jang, Seoul Sports Complex, Seoul
Participants	38 from 22 countries

The new javelin was being used, as it had been since 1986, so the marks were much shorter than the 90+ metre throws of 1968-1980. The favorite was the huge Finn, Seppo Räty, the 1987 World Champion. Also considered was the world record holder with the implement, Czechoslovakian Ján Železný, who led the qualifying with 85.90 (281-10), and the first man to set a world record with the new jav, Klaus Tafelmeier (FRG). The leader in round one was another Finn, Tapio Korjus, but he had the third-longest throw ever with the new javelin. In round two, Železný and Viktor Yevsyukov both threw 82.32 (270-1) to take over. Räty came thru in the third round with 83.26 (273-2), and as the lead shifted around, Železný regained it in round four with 83.46 (273-10). Throwing third in the final round, he improved to 84.12 (275-2), but the last thrower was Korjus, and his 84.28 (276-6¼) brought him the gold medal, Železný claiming silver.

Pos	Nr	Athlete	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	303	Tapio Korjus	FIN	81.42 (3)	84.28 (1)	Gold
2	991	Jan Železný	TCH	85.90 (1)	84.12 (2)	Silver
3	310	Seppo Räty	FIN	81.62 (2)	83.26 (3)	Bronze
4	392	Klaus Tafelmeier	FRG	80.52 (5)	82.72 (4)
5	1035	Viktor Yevsyukov	URS	79.26 (12)	82.32 (5)
6	486	Gerald Weiß	GDR	80.22 (8)	81.30 (6)
7	1196	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	URS	80.26 (6)	79.12 (7)
8	959	Dag Wennlund	SWE	79.66 (11)	78.30 (8)
9	949	Peter Borglund	SWE	80.16 (9)	78.22 (9)
10	302	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.24 (7)	78.04 (10)
11	444	Dave Ottley	GBR	80.98 (4)	76.96 (11)
12	1158	Sejad Krdžalić	YUG	79.90 (10)	73.28 (12)
13 r1/2	567	Einar Vilhjálmsson	ISL	78.92 (13)	–
14 r1/2	1132	Dave Stephens	USA	78.42 (14)	–
15 r1/2	484	Silvio Warsönke	GDR	78.22 (15)	–
16 r1/2	697	Lee Uk-Jong	KOR	78.10 (16)	–
17 r1/2	471	Detlef Michel	GDR	77.70 (17)	–
18 r1/2	1118	Tom Petranoff	USA	77.48 (18)	–
19 r1/2	634	Kazuhiro Mizoguchi	JPN	77.46 (19)	–
20 r1/2	427	Mick Hill	GBR	77.20 (20)	–
21 r1/2	646	Masami Yoshida	JPN	76.90 (21)	–
22 r1/2	552	Terry McHugh	IRL	76.46 (22)	–
23 r1/2	335	Pascal Lefèvre	FRA	76.42 (23)	–
24 r1/2	946	Rudolf Steiner	SUI	76.02 (24)	–
25 r1/2	407	Roald Bradstock	GBR	75.96 (25)	–
26 r1/2	983	Zdeněk Nenadál	TCH	75.56 (26)	–
27 r1/2	564	Siggi Einarsson	ISL	75.52 (27)	–
28 r1/2	152	Steve Feraday	CAN	73.32 (28)	–
29 r1/2	1082	Brian Crouser	USA	72.72 (29)	–
30 r1/2	318	Charlus Bertimon	FRA	70.84 (30)	–
31 r1/2	167	Mike Mahovlich	CAN	69.44 (31)	–
32 r1/2	330	Stéphane Laporte	FRA	69.40 (32)	–
33 r1/2	1016	Justin Arop	UGA	69.10 (33)	–
34 r1/2	969	Zakayo Malekwa	TAN	67.56 (34)	–
35 r1/2	717	Ghanem Zaid	KUW	65.84 (35)	–
36 r1/2	965	Hafez El-Hussein	SYR	63.34 (36)	–
37 r1/2	184	Paul Hurlston	CAY	62.34 (37)	–
38 r1/2	705	Abdul Azim Al-Aliwat	KSA	56.32 (38)	–

Qualifying Round (24 September 1988)

Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 79.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Athlete	NOC	Distance
1	Jan Železný	TCH	85.90	QOR
2	Seppo Räty	FIN	81.62	Q
3	Tapio Korjus	FIN	81.42	Q
4	Dave Ottley	GBR	80.98	Q
5	Klaus Tafelmeier	FRG	80.52	Q
6	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	URS	80.26	Q
7	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.24	Q
8	Gerald Weiß	GDR	80.22	Q
9	Peter Borglund	SWE	80.16	Q
10	Sejad Krdžalić	YUG	79.90	Q
11	Dag Wennlund	SWE	79.66	Q
12	Viktor Yevsyukov	URS	79.26	Q
13	Einar Vilhjálmsson	ISL	78.92
14	Dave Stephens	USA	78.42
15	Silvio Warsönke	GDR	78.22
16	Lee Uk-Jong	KOR	78.10
17	Detlef Michel	GDR	77.70
18	Tom Petranoff	USA	77.48
19	Kazuhiro Mizoguchi	JPN	77.46
20	Mick Hill	GBR	77.20
21	Masami Yoshida	JPN	76.90
22	Terry McHugh	IRL	76.46
23	Pascal Lefèvre	FRA	76.42
24	Rudolf Steiner	SUI	76.02
25	Roald Bradstock	GBR	75.96
26	Zdeněk Nenadál	TCH	75.56
27	Siggi Einarsson	ISL	75.52
28	Steve Feraday	CAN	73.32
29	Brian Crouser	USA	72.72
30	Charlus Bertimon	FRA	70.84
31	Mike Mahovlich	CAN	69.44
32	Stéphane Laporte	FRA	69.40
33	Justin Arop	UGA	69.10
34	Zakayo Malekwa	TAN	67.56
35	Ghanem Zaid	KUW	65.84
36	Hafez El-Hussein	SYR	63.34
37	Paul Hurlston	CAY	62.34
38	Abdul Azim Al-Aliwat	KSA	56.32

Qualifying Round, Group A (24 September 1988 — 9:40)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group A Round One	Group A Round Two	Group A Round Three
1	9	Jan Železný	TCH	85.90	85.90	-	-	OR
2	1	Seppo Räty	FIN	81.62	76.76	77.70	81.62
3	16	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	URS	80.26	×	77.68	80.26
4	8	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.24	77.70	80.24	-
5	6	Gerald Weiß	GDR	80.22	78.20	74.80	80.22
6	5	Peter Borglund	SWE	80.16	78.66	73.76	80.16
7	4	Sejad Krdžalić	YUG	79.90	72.40	78.06	79.90
8	11	Einar Vilhjálmsson	ISL	78.92	78.46	75.64	78.92
9	3	Tom Petranoff	USA	77.48	71.42	75.04	77.48
10	2	Kazuhiro Mizoguchi	JPN	77.46	77.44	×	77.46
11	10	Rudolf Steiner	SUI	76.02	76.02	67.56	×
12	7	Roald Bradstock	GBR	75.96	75.96	73.66	72.60
13	18	Brian Crouser	USA	72.72	72.66	72.64	72.72
14	15	Charlus Bertimon	FRA	70.84	70.84	70.58	70.48
15	13	Mike Mahovlich	CAN	69.44	×	69.44	67.32
16	17	Stéphane Laporte	FRA	69.40	63.66	×	69.40
17	19	Zakayo Malekwa	TAN	67.56	×	67.14	67.56
18	14	Ghanem Zaid	KUW	65.84	62.88	63.50	65.84
19	12	Paul Hurlston	CAY	62.34	×	62.34	61.78

Qualifying Round, Group B (24 September 1988 — 11:25)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	Group B Round One	Group B Round Two	Group B Round Three
1	9	Tapio Korjus	FIN	81.42	76.42	78.26	81.42
2	7	Dave Ottley	GBR	80.98	80.98	-	-
3	3	Klaus Tafelmeier	FRG	80.52	77.98	75.08	80.52
4	13	Dag Wennlund	SWE	79.66	×	79.66	-
5	16	Viktor Yevsyukov	URS	79.26	71.18	79.26	-
6	1	Dave Stephens	USA	78.42	78.42	76.80	70.86
7	15	Silvio Warsönke	GDR	78.22	75.88	75.78	78.22
8	12	Lee Uk-Jong	KOR	78.10	×	67.96	78.10
9	18	Detlef Michel	GDR	77.70	73.54	77.68	77.70
10	5	Mick Hill	GBR	77.20	77.20	74.98	72.98
11	8	Masami Yoshida	JPN	76.90	74.76	71.38	76.90
12	4	Terry McHugh	IRL	76.46	76.46	73.34	69.18
13	2	Pascal Lefèvre	FRA	76.42	76.42	74.56	72.90
14	10	Zdeněk Nenadál	TCH	75.56	75.56	69.78	75.34
15	17	Siggi Einarsson	ISL	75.52	69.18	72.90	75.52
16	19	Steve Feraday	CAN	73.32	68.78	66.22	73.32
17	11	Justin Arop	UGA	69.10	67.54	69.10	67.68
18	14	Hafez El-Hussein	SYR	63.34	63.34	63.34	63.30
19	6	Abdul Azim Al-Aliwat	KSA	56.32	56.32	53.32	49.48

Final Round (25 September 1988 — 12:00)

Pos	Ord	Athlete	NOC	Distance	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6
1	12	Tapio Korjus	FIN	84.28	82.74	76.26	-	-	×	84.28
2	4	Jan Železný	TCH	84.12	×	82.32	81.60	83.46	77.88	84.12
3	1	Seppo Räty	FIN	83.26	80.00	76.26	83.26	78.74	80.66	80.44
4	10	Klaus Tafelmeier	FRG	82.72	80.14	78.72	78.28	×	77.76	82.72
5	9	Viktor Yevsyukov	URS	82.32	81.42	82.32	×	80.38	81.42	79.52
6	3	Gerald Weiß	GDR	81.30	80.66	81.30	79.94	77.26	77.80	78.28
7	8	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	URS	79.12	76.48	76.58	79.12	×	77.32	74.64
8	6	Dag Wennlund	SWE	78.30	76.88	75.62	78.30	×	76.60	×
9	11	Peter Borglund	SWE	78.22	78.16	78.22	74.76	–	–	–
10	5	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	78.04	75.62	77.78	78.04	–	–	–
11	2	Dave Ottley	GBR	76.96	74.52	75.70	76.96	–	–	–
12	7	Sejad Krdžalić	YUG	73.28	72.12	73.28	×	–	–	–