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Paris Olympics 2024: Max Dehning is the new rising star of javelin

Max Dehning is the rising German sensation in javelin who can prove to be a worthy opponent for Neeraj Chopra in the Paris Olympics 2024.

By Soumya | Feb 26, 2024 | 2 Min Read

It seems Neeraj Chopra has a new rival to worry about at this year’s Paris Olympics from a young German, Max Deehnin. 19-year-old Max Dehning of Germany threw 90.20m on Sunday, February 25 at the German Winter Throwing Championships in Halle. Dehning became the youngest man to breach the coveted 90m mark in the history of men’s javelin throw and the first to go past the mark in the Olympics year.

Max Dehning improved on his personal best, which was 78.07m until Saturday, to make heads turn in the track and field community. Dehning, a two-time U20 World Championships silver medallist, came up with the massive throw in his first attempt at the German Winter Throwing Championships on Sunday, improving on his previous mark by more than 12m.

19-year-old becomes only the sixth player to get a direct quota in men's javelin at the Paris Olympics 👀💥

Another missile from the javelin homeland, Max Dehning threw a stunning 90.20m, becoming the youngest to cross the 90m mark! 🚀🇩🇪

Is the field getting tense for Paris?… pic.twitter.com/jfFFEiYBWu
— The Bridge (@the_bridge_in) February 25, 2024

Max Dehning’s 90.20m is the 22nd on the list of best-ever throws in men’s javelin history, an elite club that is topped by legendary Jan Zelezny’s 98.48m throw.

Max Dehning’s coach knew that his ward had achieved a special throw the moment the spear left his hand in the competition on Sunday.

Incidentally, Max Dehning’s second throw was 85.45m as he proved that his record throw was not a fluke and that he could challenge the big boys at the highest level. Nico Cyclist finished second in the competition on Sunday with a best effort of 76.56m.

The throw also makes Max Dehning eligible to compete at the Olympics in Paris this year as the qualification mark was set at 83m for men’s javelin. It will be an interesting fight in Paris especially at a time when big guns like Neeraj, Jakub Vadlejch and Anderson Peters, are yet to start their season in the Olympic year.

Germany’s rich tradition in javelin throw adds another layer of significance to Dehning’s accomplishment. The country has a storied history in the sport, producing some of the most celebrated javelin throwers the world has seen.

While Czech Republic’s Jan Zelezny holds the world record of 98.48m in men’s javelin, 30-year-old German, Johannes Vetter has the second-best throw in the world – 97.76m. There are as many as four Germans, including Vetter, Thomas Rohler (93.90m), Raymond Hecht (92.60m) and Andreas Hofmann (92.0m), in the list of javelin stars with the top 10 distances of all-time.

This legacy of excellence provides a fertile ground for young talents like Dehning, who grow up inspired by the feats of their predecessors. It is within this context that Dehning’s achievement shines even brighter, marking him as the latest in a long line of German javelin throwers who have left an indelible mark on the sport.

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