| Host City: Moscow, Russia | Format: Qualifying round (82.50 or top 12 to final) (Aug 15) |
| Dates: 10 August 2013 – 18 August 2013 | |
| Nations participating: 203 | |
| Athletes participating: 1,784 | |
| | | Main venue: Luzhniki Stadium
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| Overview by IAAF | | |
| The nature of javelin throwing brings more injuries than in the other throws. Veselý (knee/stomach) and Pitkämäki (rib surgery) had been suffering in the lead up to the championships, but were still regarded as the two most likely to succeed along with Tarabin, who had thrown a world leading 88.84 three weeks before the championship. Pitkämäki opened in the final with 83.40, then Veselý followed five throws later with 87.17. The Czech would not get near to that effort, but for Pitkämäki the challenge was on. Four of his remaining five throws would exceed 85m, the best of 87.07 coming in the third round. Behind them Tarabin was in third with his second round 84.38, until the short but powerful Yego set a Kenyan record in round five with 85.40. On the morning of the final Tarabin and his wife Mariya Abakumova (the 2011 women’s World Champion) had apparently received a phone call from Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he told them that he believed in them “and expected medals”. Tarabin was aware of these words when making his last throw of 86.23, which wrested the bronze from Yego. The 10cm winning margin was the closest in the history of the event. Avramenko of Ukraine originally placed fifth in the final with 82.05, but was disqualified after failing a test for an anabolic steroid. |
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