| | Event type

Javelin Throw, Men

Date	2 – 3 August 1996
Status	Olympic
Location	Centennial Olympic Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
Participants	34 from 21 countries

In May, Ján Železný had broken the world record with 98.48 (323-1¼), still the world’s best thru 2008. He had won the 1993 and 1995 World Champion and was a heavy favorite. In the final, Britain’s Steve Backley, the two-time European Champion, opened with 87.44 (286-10½) to lead. Železný surpassed that in round two with 88.16 (289-3) and those were their best throws, settling the gold and silver medals. Finland’s Seppo Räty came in third with his final toss, winning his third consecutive Olympic medal, but he would never get gold.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Qualifying	Final
1	1313	Jan Železný	CZE	86.52 (2)	88.16 (1)	Gold
2	1467	Steve Backley	GBR	84.14 (5)	87.44 (2)	Silver
3	1419	Seppo Räty	FIN	83.66 (6)	86.98 (3)	Bronze
4	1548	Raymond Hecht	GER	83.24 (7)	86.88 (4)
5	1550	Boris Henry	GER	83.22 (8)	85.68 (5)
6	2144	Sergey Makarov	RUS	85.88 (3)	85.30 (6)
7	1410	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.98 (10)	84.02 (7)
8	2390	Tom Pukstys	USA	84.70 (4)	83.58 (8)
9	1530	Peter Blank	GER	82.68 (9)	81.82 (9)
10	1602	Kostas Gkatsioudis	GRE	87.12 (1)	81.46 (10)
11	1234	Zhang Lianbiao	CHN	79.88 (12)	80.96 (11)
12	1487	Mick Hill	GBR	80.48 (11)	78.58 (12)
13 QR	2003	Pål Arne Fagernes	NOR	79.78 (13)	–
14 QR	1406	Harri Hakkarainen	FIN	79.34 (14)	–
15 QR	2399	Dave Stephens	USA	79.18 (15)	–
16 QR	2150	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	RUS	78.20 (16)	–
17 QR	2393	Todd Riech	USA	78.02 (17)	–
18 QR	1274	Emeterio González	CUB	77.94 (18)	–
19 QR	1609	Dimitrios Polymerou	GRE	77.82 (19)	–
20 QR	2029	Edgar Baumann	PAR	77.74 (20)	–
21 QR	1041	Andrew Currey	AUS	77.28 (21)	–
22 QR	2148	Andrey Moruyev	RUS	77.20 (22)	–
23 QR	2020	Gavin Lovegrove	NZL	77.12 (23)	–
24 QR	2417	Sergey Voynov	UZB	76.30 (24)	–
25 QR	1501	Nick Nieland	GBR	75.74 (25)	–
26 QR	2260	Dag Wennlund	SWE	75.24 (26)	–
27 QR	2413	Vladimir Parfyonov	UZB	73.96 (27)	–
28 QR	1279	Isbel Luaces	CUB	73.84 (28)	–
29 QR	1677	Terry McHugh	IRL	72.84 (29)	–
30 QR	1383	Donald-Aik Sild	EST	72.54 (30)	–
31 QR	1827	Chu Gi-Yeong	KOR	71.42 (31)	–
32 QR	1984	Pius Bazighe	NGR	70.78 (32)	–
33 QR	2292	Kirt Thompson	TTO	68.02 (33)	–
AC QR	1137	Uladzimir Sasimovich	BLR	– (NM)	–

Qualifying Round

Date	2 August 1996
Format	Top 12 and ties and all those reaching 83.00 metres advanced to the final.

Pos	Number	Competitor	NOC	Distance
1	1602	Kostas Gkatsioudis	GRE	87.12	Q
2	1313	Jan Železný	CZE	86.52	Q
3	2144	Sergey Makarov	RUS	85.88	Q
4	2390	Tom Pukstys	USA	84.70	Q
5	1467	Steve Backley	GBR	84.14	Q
6	1419	Seppo Räty	FIN	83.66	Q
7	1548	Raymond Hecht	GER	83.24	Q
8	1550	Boris Henry	GER	83.22	Q
9	1530	Peter Blank	GER	82.68	q
10	1410	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.98	q
11	1487	Mick Hill	GBR	80.48	q
12	1234	Zhang Lianbiao	CHN	79.88	q
13	2003	Pål Arne Fagernes	NOR	79.78
14	1406	Harri Hakkarainen	FIN	79.34
15	2399	Dave Stephens	USA	79.18
16	2150	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	RUS	78.20
17	2393	Todd Riech	USA	78.02
18	1274	Emeterio González	CUB	77.94
19	1609	Dimitrios Polymerou	GRE	77.82
20	2029	Edgar Baumann	PAR	77.74
21	1041	Andrew Currey	AUS	77.28
22	2148	Andrey Moruyev	RUS	77.20
23	2020	Gavin Lovegrove	NZL	77.12
24	2417	Sergey Voynov	UZB	76.30
25	1501	Nick Nieland	GBR	75.74
26	2260	Dag Wennlund	SWE	75.24
27	2413	Vladimir Parfyonov	UZB	73.96
28	1279	Isbel Luaces	CUB	73.84
29	1677	Terry McHugh	IRL	72.84
30	1383	Donald-Aik Sild	EST	72.54
31	1827	Chu Gi-Yeong	KOR	71.42
32	1984	Pius Bazighe	NGR	70.78
33	2292	Kirt Thompson	TTO	68.02
NM	1137	Uladzimir Sasimovich	BLR	–

Group A

Date	2 August 1996 — 9:30

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance
1	10	Kostas Gkatsioudis	GRE	87.12	87.12	p	p
2	9	Sergey Makarov	RUS	85.88	85.88	p	p
3	4	Seppo Räty	FIN	83.66	83.66	p	p
4	12	Raymond Hecht	GER	83.24	83.24	p	p
5	1	Peter Blank	GER	82.68	82.68	x	p
6	13	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	80.98	78.82	x	80.98
7	17	Mick Hill	GBR	80.48	77.12	x	80.48
8	6	Pål Arne Fagernes	NOR	79.78	78.38	x	79.78
9	7	Dave Stephens	USA	79.18	77.98	79.18	79.18
10	8	Emeterio González	CUB	77.94	x	77.94	74.42
11	11	Edgar Baumann	PAR	77.74	x	75.90	77.74
12	15	Gavin Lovegrove	NZL	77.12	x	77.12	x
13	2	Sergey Voynov	UZB	76.30	75.58	76.30	68.50
14	5	Dag Wennlund	SWE	75.24	75.24	x	x
15	3	Terry McHugh	IRL	72.84	69.72	x	72.84
16	14	Chu Gi-Yeong	KOR	71.42	x	70.30	71.42
17	16	Kirt Thompson	TTO	68.02	68.02	x	64.12

Group B

Date	2 August 1996 — 11:00

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance
1	1	Jan Železný	CZE	86.52	86.52	p	p
2	12	Tom Pukstys	USA	84.70	80.70	81.34	84.70
3	5	Steve Backley	GBR	84.14	84.14	p	p
4	7	Boris Henry	GER	83.22	83.22	p	p
5	16	Zhang Lianbiao	CHN	79.88	76.24	76.76	79.88
6	17	Harri Hakkarainen	FIN	79.34	77.96	79.34	x
7	9	Vladimir Ovchinnikov	RUS	78.20	74.88	76.12	78.20
8	11	Todd Riech	USA	78.02	x	76.68	78.02
9	15	Dimitrios Polymerou	GRE	77.82	76.98	x	77.82
10	6	Andrew Currey	AUS	77.28	71.34	76.58	77.28
11	13	Andrey Moruyev	RUS	77.20	x	76.96	77.20
12	3	Nick Nieland	GBR	75.74	69.54	x	75.74
13	4	Vladimir Parfyonov	UZB	73.96	68.54	73.96	73.28
14	10	Isbel Luaces	CUB	73.84	73.84	73.20	x
15	8	Donald-Aik Sild	EST	72.54	72.54	x	68.28
16	2	Pius Bazighe	NGR	70.78	68.02	70.78	65.70
NM	14	Uladzimir Sasimovich	BLR	–	x	x	x

Final Round

Date	3 August 1996 — 18:55

Pos	Start Order	Competitor	NOC	Distance	Round #1 Distance	Round #2 Distance	Round #3 Distance	Round #4 Distance	Round #5 Distance	Round #6 Distance
1	7	Jan Železný	CZE	88.16	x	88.16	82.68	83.86	86.02	86.12
2	1	Steve Backley	GBR	87.44	87.44	85.66	x	80.74	80.88	85.64
3	8	Seppo Räty	FIN	86.98	83.44	86.66	76.52	84.52	81.70	86.98
4	10	Raymond Hecht	GER	86.88	83.88	86.88	x	83.10	x	85.10
5	6	Boris Henry	GER	85.68	81.24	85.68	x	82.58	83.94	84.08
6	4	Sergey Makarov	RUS	85.30	82.72	85.30	81.12	x	82.28	83.78
7	12	Kimmo Kinnunen	FIN	84.02	82.72	80.26	x	84.02	81.98	x
8	2	Tom Pukstys	USA	83.58	78.48	80.90	83.58	81.28	82.18	81.68
9	3	Peter Blank	GER	81.82	76.66	81.82	x	–	–	–
10	11	Kostas Gkatsioudis	GRE	81.46	x	79.08	81.46	–	–	–
11	5	Zhang Lianbiao	CHN	80.96	80.28	78.86	80.96	–	–	–
12	9	Mick Hill	GBR	78.58	78.58	x	x	–	–	–