Asian Games javelin throw records: China’s Zhao Qinggang, Liu Shiying among the best
Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal-winning effort in 2023 is the second-best javelin throw in the Asian Games among men. Know all the records.
Athletics
Javelin throw has been a part of the Asian Games since its inaugural edition in 1951. Both the men’s and women’s javelin throw events have been held at every edition of the continental multi-sport event.
Over the years, javelin throw performances have consistently improved at the Asian Games. Haruo Nagayasu of Japan won the first men’s javelin throw gold medal with a 63.97m throw at the 1951 Asian Games. Nagayasu’s compatriot Tayoko Yoshino won gold in the 1951 women’s event with a 36.25m effort.
The Asian Games javelin throw records for both men and women, meanwhile, belong to athletes from the People's Republic of China.
China’s Zhao Qinggang topped the men’s javelin throw field at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon with an 89.15m attempt - the then-Asian record. The current Asian record of 91.36m belongs to Chao Tsun Cheng of Chinese Taipei since 2017. The men’s javelin throw world record, meanwhile, stands at 98.48m. It has been held by Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic since 1996.
Zhao Qinggang’s 89.15m throw from Incheon 2014, however, is still the Asian Games men’s javelin throw record.
At the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, India's Neeraj Chopra won the men's javelin throw gold medal with a haul of 88.88m - the second-best men’s throw in the Asian Games all-time list. Neeraj's winning throw of 88.06m from Jakarta 2018 is third on the list. Another Indian thrower, Kishore Kumar Jena, appears fourth in the standings courtesy his silver medal-winning distance of 87.54m at Hangzhou 2023.
Liu Shiying, the reigning Olympic champion, won the women’s event at Jakarta 2018 with the Asian Games record of 66.09m. At Hangzhou 2023, India's Annu Rani claimed the gold medal with a 62.92m attempt.
Liu Shiying’s 66.09m throw at Jakarta 2018 is the Asian Games record for women’s javelin throw followed by compatriot Zhang Li’s 65.47m gold medal-winning effort at the 2014 Asian Games. Liu Shiying’s second-best throw of 65.39m at the 2018 edition comes third.
Another Zhang Li, also from China, won the gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing with a 66.00m throw. However, with new javelin designs introduced at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, all previous records have been reset.