Thomas Röhler is a German track and field athlete who specializes in the Javelin throw competition. With a throw of 90.30 m, he won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. He thus nearly missed the Norwegian athlete Andreas Thorkildsen's 2008 Olympic record of 90.57 meters set in Beijing. At the 2017 World Championships in London, he finished fourth with a best throw of 88.26 meters. His personal best of 93.90 m for the event places him third on the overall list.
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In 2010, he made an impression as a junior (under-20) athlete in the javelin throw. In that year, he threw for the first time over 70 meters and competed for his nation in the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he placed ninth. He finished the year with a throw of 76.37 meters, which was enough to acquire the second place at the German junior championships. The following year, he improved to 78.20 m, finishing seventh at the 2011 European Athletics U23 Championships.
In 2012, he began to establish himself as a senior athlete. At a competition in Sankt Wendel, he achieved his first eighty-meter clearance with a mark of 80.79 meters. The victory over the more seasoned Tino Häber in his debut national championship race at the 2012 German Athletics Championships was more noteworthy. His personal best did not qualify him for the 2012 London Olympics, but he was chosen for the European Athletics Championships. On his senior appearance for Germany, he finished 13th in javelin qualification, matching finalist Gabriel Wallin’s mark but missing out due to a shorter second throw.
During the 2013 season, he won his first international medals and frequently threw past eighty metres. He came in second place to Zigismunds Sirmais of Latvia at the 2013 European Cup Winter Throwing in March. He finished in the top three at the Bislett Games in his first appearance on the 2013 IAAF Diamond League circuit. He won silver at the 2013 European Team Championships and successfully defended his national title in the 2013 German Athletics Championships. At the 2013 European Athletics U23 Championships, he finished third behind Sirmais and German colleague Bernhard Seifert. He finished seventh at the Memorial Van Damme Diamond League competition to cap off the year.
He frequently competed in the 2014 IAAF Diamond League circuit, placing fifth at the Prefontaine Classic and Bislett Games before throwing his personal best of 84.74 m for third place at the Meeting Areva in Paris. At the Glasgow Grand Prix, he bettered this performance by throwing the javelin 86.99m, surprising world champion Vitezslav Vesely on route to a triumph. He claimed the gold medal in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Olympics with a throw of 90.30m, only missing the Olympic record of 90.57 meters set by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With a throw of 88.26 meters, he came in fourth place at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, six centimeters behind third place.
With a throw of 89.47 meters in August, he captured the gold medal at the 2018 European Athletics Championships. At the 2018 IAAF Continental Cup in September, he captured another gold medal with a throw of 87.07 meters. His injury prevented him from competing in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, which were held in 2021. He later made his comeback in the 2022 European Championships in Munich. There, he finished 22nd in the qualification round and was unable to move on to the final.
| Event | Total | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Olympic Games | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| European Championships | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Continental Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
His greatest rival is his compatriot Johannes Vetter. His personal best is 97.76 m, which is also the German national record. This mark ranks him second on the overall list of best javelin throws.
| Competition | Best Result | Event | Distance | Position |
| Olympic Games | Rio 2016 | Javelin Throw | 90.30 m | Gold |
| World Championships | London 2017 | Javelin Throw | 88.26 m | Fourth |
| European Championships | Berlin 2018 | Javelin Throw | 89.47 m | Gold |
Rohler was raised in Jena, a stunning city surrounded by the Kernberge mountains, and from an early age dreamed of competing in the Olympics or winning an Olympic gold medal. He was a curious and sporty child, therefore outdoor sports played an important role in his life from elementary school. Although he began track and field in the second grade, it wasn’t until the fifth grade that he made his first steps toward an elite sports career by attending Jena’s sports high school.
He specialized in jumping until the age of 17, focusing on the triple jump and high jump before switching to the javelin in October 2009. His senior year of high school was demanding as he focused on graduating and improved his training volume to concentrate on technique. When he was selected for his first national team in 2010, his diligence paid dividends. This was a significant step in the direction of his Olympic dream. Along with his love of athletics, he also had a significant interest in entrepreneurship and business structures while he was a student at the University of Jena. He got engaged to Lucia Schauerhammer in 2020.
Thomas Rohler in action during Rio Olympics 2016 (Rohler in a file photo)
Thomas Rohler during a training session (Rohler in a file photo)
Thomas Rohler in a file photo (Image Credits - Instagram/ @thomasroehler)
Thomas Rohler during Doha Championships (Rohler in a file photo)
