"The javelin is an extremely violent event on the body," says CBC analyst Michael Smith, who threw the javelin as an Olympic decathlete.

"The approach run is much longer than the other throwing events, as you're trying to create great g-forces, and then you slow the body as fast as possible to translate all that energy into the javelin. You're trying to convert all that horizontal speed into sheer force and the proper release angle. It's almost like crashing a car when you block with your takeoff leg to catapult the javelin."

"It's incredible how far they throw," marvels Smith. "They throw the javelin the length of a football field -- that's amazing for something that weighs 800 grams. The TV cameras don't give you a good idea because they're shooting from a low angle, but to see a javelin flying for the almost 100 metres is really something else."