19-year-old Max Dehning made heads turn by becoming the youngest man to breach the coveted 90m mark in javelin. The German teenager achieved the feat at the Winter Throwing Championships in Halle on Sunday, February 25.
It seems Neeraj Chopra has a new rival to worry about at this year’s Paris Olympics. 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.
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 can 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.