The javelin is actually a spear. The javelin has been thrown in competition (sports games) for over 2,000 years. Early javelins usually had a wooden shaft and a standard weight.

In 1953 a hollow javelin was invented by Franklin Held. The javelin had to maintain the standard weight, so the surface area of the shaft increased. This increased the the javelin's flight distance. Also, the spear would land flat on the ground and slide, after being thrown.

These two factors, flight distance and landing flat, caused safety and judging problems. In competition the judges sometimes could not decide exactly where the javelin hit the ground. And it would slide along the ground in an unsafe manner.

Because of this, the rules were changed. The javelin had to be designed to land point-down. This made it safer and easier to judge where it landed.

Two design changes were made. One moved the "center of gravity" (the balance point) back, away from the point. The other moved the "center of pressure" (air pressure created during flight) back behind the center of gravity. These two changes causes the point to be slanted downward during flight.

The javelin thrower needs to carefully throw the javelin to reduce oscillation (vibration) which tends to slow the javelin.

The current world record is a throw of 95.66 meters (313 ft. 10 in.). Longer than a football field!