Finnish Topias Laine threw his first 80 meters in Vantaa, Finland on Saturday. He joins the relatively rare pack of throwers you reached 80 meters mark before the age of 20.
We take a look at some of the biggest names in javelin and the age that they were able to reach 80 meters.
Laine’s country man 1999 World Champion Aki Parviainen is propably the youngest to reach 80 meters. He threw 80,94 at the very young age of 17 years and 8 months back in 1992 at the Finnish National Championships.
The youngest 80 meters throwers of todays active competitors are youth World Record holder Neeraj Chopra of India and Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic.
Today’s javelin giant Johannes Vetter reached the 80 meters mark when has 22. Magnus Kirt and Vitezslav Vesely were already at the age 25 when they reach 80 meters for the first time.
World Record holder Jan Zelezny reached 80 meters when he was 20 years 10 months old. 2016 Olympic Champion Thomas Röhler was two months younger than Zelezny when he reached 80 meters for the first time.
Here’s an incomplete list of selected top throwers and the age that they reached the 80 meter mark with the current javelin model.
At what age did they reach 80 meters?
| Age | Athlete | Mark | Year |
| 17 y 8 m | Aki Parviainen (FIN) | 80,94 | 1992 |
| 18 y 0 m | Neeraj Chopra (IND) | 81,04 | 2015 |
| 18 y 4 m | Zigismunds Sirmais (LAT) | 82,27 | 2010 |
| 18 y 4 m | Harri Haatainen (FIN) | 82,52 | 1996 |
| 18 y 6 m | Kostas Gatsioudis (GRE) | 80,30 | 1992 |
| 18 y 8 m | Aleksandr Ivanov (RUS) | 80,00 | 2001 |
| 18 y 10 m | Tero Järvenpää (FIN) | 80,43 | 2003 |
| 18 y 11 m | Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) | 80,52 | 2009 |
| 19 y 1 m | Keshorn Walcott (TTO) | 80,11 | 2012 |
| 19 y 2 m | Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) | 83,87 | 2001 |
| 19 y 6 m | Teemu Wirkkala (FIN) | 80,07 | 2003 |
| 19 y 7 m | Anderson Peters (GRN) | 81,23 | 2017 |
| 19 y 10 m | Ari Mannio (FIN) | 80,31 | 2007 |
| 19 y 10 m | Topias Laine (FIN) | 80,17 | 2021 |
| 20 y 0 m | Matti Närhi (FIN) | 83,14 | 1995 |
| 20 y 2 m | Steve Backley (GBR) | 83,28 | 1989 |
| 20 y 3 m | Mattias de Zordo (GER) | 82,51 | 2008 |
| 20 y 4 m | Kimmo Kinnunen (FIN) | 80,10 | 1988 |
| 20 y 6 m | Andreas Hofmann (GER) | 80,81 | 2012 |
| 20 y 6 m | Vadims Vasilevskis (LAT) | 81,92 | 2002 |
| 20 y 7 m | Tero Pitkämäki (FIN) | 80,45 | 2003 |
| 20 y 7 m | Oliver Helander (FIN) | 80,04 | 2017 |
| 20 y 8 m | Thomas Röhler (GER) | 80,79 | 2012 |
| 20 y 10 m | Jan Zelezny (CZE) | 85,20 | 1987 |
| 21 y 4 m | Sergei Makarov (RUS) | 82,54 | 1994 |
| 21 y 4 m | Ihab Abdelrahman (EGY) | 81,84 | 2010 |
| 21 y 6 m | Raymond Hecht (GER) | 83,26 | 1990 |
| 22 y 1 m | Johannes Vetter (GER) | 82,13 | 2015 |
| 22 y 3 m | Antti Ruuskanen (FIN) | 82,20 | 2006 |
| 22 y 10 m | Andrus Värnik (EST) | 82,16 | 2000 |
| 23 y 6 m | Julius Yego (KEN) | 81,12 | 2012 |
| 23 y 6 m | Breaux Greer (USA) | 80,74 | 2000 |
| 25 y 3 m | Magnus Kirt (EST) | 82,22 | 2015 |
| 25 y 5 m | Vitezslav Vesely (CZE) | 81,20 | 2008 |