|
| Event type

Javelin Throw, Men

Date 4 August 1948
StatusOlympic
LocationEmpire Stadium, Wembley, London
Participants23 from 15 countries

Tapio Rautavaara won the gold medal to continue the Finnish tradition of great javelin throwing. He won with his first round throw. American Steve Seymour, the 1947-48 AAU Champion, placed second with his third round throw, needing a good throw at that point to move up from 10th and get three more throws. Rautavaara was a very interesting character. He was bronze medalist at the 1946 European Championships, and was Finnish javelin champion in 1944-45, and 1947-49, in addition to his Olympic gold medal. But he was also a top archer and competed on the Finnish team that won the World Team Championship in 1958, and he was Finnish champion in archery in 1955. But Rautavaara is best remembered in Finland for his singing and acting. He toured Finland performing in the 50s and early 60s, and eventually recorded over 300 songs. He began acting in films and television after World War II, and appeared in over 20 movies.

PosNrAthleteNOCQualifyingFinal
1496Tapio RautavaaraFIN64.68 (3)69.77 (1)Gold
2514Steve SeymourUSA63.83 (5)67.56 (2)Silver
3504József VárszegiHUN61.63 (10)67.03 (3)Bronze
4498Pauli VesterinenFIN61.67 (9)65.89 (4)
5506Odd MæhlumNOR63.00 (7)65.32 (5)
6512Martin BilesUSA67.68 (1)65.17 (6)
7516Mirko VujačićYUG62.53 (8)64.89 (7)
8513Bob LikinsUSA61.00 (12)64.51 (8)
9509Gunnar PeterssonSWE64.04 (4)62.80 (9)
10510Per-Arne BerglundSWE67.02 (2)62.62 (10)
11495Lumír KiesewetterTCH63.25 (6)60.25 (11)
12497Soini NikkinenFIN61.21 (11)58.05 (12)
13 r1/2492Ricardo HéberARG60.82 (13)
14 r1/2500Raymond TissotFRA58.19 (14)
15 r1/2515Dušan VujačićYUG57.62 (15)
16 r1/2505Jóel SigurðssonISL56.85 (16)
17 r1/2503Nico LutkeveldNED56.25 (17)
18 r1/2507Pedro ApellánizESP54.97 (18)
19 r1/2502Morville ChoteGBR54.84 (19)
20 r1/2494Leo RoininenCAN53.92 (20)
21 r1/2501Malcolm DalrympleGBR53.17 (21)
22 r1/2511Halil ZıramanTUR53.30 (22)
23 r1/2499Pierre SprécherFRA52.30 (23)
DNS508Sven DaleflodSWE– (DNS)
DNS491Erwin PektorAUT– (DNS)
DNS588Luis GanozaPER– (DNS)
DNS589Jaime PiquerasPER– (DNS)

Qualifying Round (4 August 1948 — 11:00)

Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 64.00 metres advanced to the final.

PosAthleteNOCDistance
1Martin BilesUSA67.68Q
2Per-Arne BerglundSWE67.02Q
3Tapio RautavaaraFIN64.68Q
4Gunnar PeterssonSWE64.04Q
5Steve SeymourUSA63.83q
6Lumír KiesewetterTCH63.25q
7Odd MæhlumNOR63.00q
8Mirko VujačićYUG62.53q
9Pauli VesterinenFIN61.67q
10József VárszegiHUN61.63q
11Soini NikkinenFIN61.21q
12Bob LikinsUSA61.00q
13Ricardo HéberARG60.82
14Raymond TissotFRA58.19
15Dušan VujačićYUG57.62
16Jóel SigurðssonISL56.85
17Nico LutkeveldNED56.25
18Pedro ApellánizESP54.97
19Morville ChoteGBR54.84
20Leo RoininenCAN53.92
21Malcolm DalrympleGBR53.17
22Halil ZıramanTUR53.30
23Pierre SprécherFRA52.30
DNSSven DaleflodSWE
DNSErwin PektorAUT
DNSLuis GanozaPER
DNSJaime PiquerasPER

Qualifying Round, Group A (4 August 1948)

PosAthleteNOCDistance
1Martin BilesUSA67.68Q
2Per-Arne BerglundSWE67.02Q
3Lumír KiesewetterTCH63.25q
4Odd MæhlumNOR63.00q
5Soini NikkinenFIN61.21q
6Bob LikinsUSA61.00q
7Ricardo HéberARG60.82
8Nico LutkeveldNED56.25
9Pedro ApellánizESP54.97
10Morville ChoteGBR54.84
11Malcolm DalrympleGBR53.17
DNSSven DaleflodSWE
DNSErwin PektorAUT
DNSLuis GanozaPER

Qualifying Round, Group B (4 August 1948)

PosAthleteNOCDistance
1Tapio RautavaaraFIN64.68Q
2Gunnar PeterssonSWE64.04Q
3Steve SeymourUSA63.83q
4Mirko VujačićYUG62.53q
5Pauli VesterinenFIN61.67q
6József VárszegiHUN61.63q
7Raymond TissotFRA58.19
8Dušan VujačićYUG57.62
9Jóel SigurðssonISL56.85
10Leo RoininenCAN53.92
11Halil ZıramanTUR53.30
12Pierre SprécherFRA52.30
DNSJaime PiquerasPER

Final Round (4 August 1948 — 14:30)

PosOrdAthleteNOCDistanceR1R2R3R4R5R6
18Tapio RautavaaraFIN69.7769.77×57.5959.4361.8658.95
29Steve SeymourUSA67.56×62.3767.5661.7263.5861.00
310József VárszegiHUN67.0367.0358.1460.2957.5359.7158.35
411Pauli VesterinenFIN65.8965.4460.9663.0161.7665.8965.79
55Odd MæhlumNOR65.3265.3262.0061.6759.2360.5959.33
62Martin BilesUSA65.1758.7065.0965.1759.0964.1065.17
712Mirko VujačićYUG64.89
84Bob LikinsUSA64.51
97Gunnar PeterssonSWE62.80
101Per-Arne BerglundSWE62.62
113Lumír KiesewetterTCH60.25
126Soini NikkinenFIN58.05