In Sweden, these poles developed into the modern javelin, and throwing them for distance became a common event there and in Finland in the 1880s.

The rules continued to evolve over the next decades; originally, javelins were thrown with no run-up, and holding them by the grip at the center of gravity was not always mandatory.

[3]: 435–436 Sweden's Eric Lemming, who threw his first world best (49.32 metres) in 1899 and ruled the event from 1902 to 1912, was the first dominant javelin thrower.

[3]: 436, 441 [4]: 478  When the men's javelin was introduced as an Olympic discipline at the 1906 Intercalated Games, Lemming won by almost nine metres and broke his own world record; Sweden swept the first four places, as Finland's best throwers were absent and the event had yet to become popular in any other country.

[3]: 441  After that, this version of the javelin rapidly faded into obscurity, together with similar variations of the shot and the discus; Sweden's Yngve Häckner, with his total of 114.28 m from 1917, was the last official both-hands world record holder.

Women's javelin throw was added to the Olympic program in 1932; Mildred "Babe" Didrikson of the United States became the first champion.

[4]: 479 For a long time, javelins were made of solid wood, typically birch, with a steel tip.

[11] The size, shape, minimum weight, and center of gravity of the javelin are all defined by World Athletics rules.

This prevents athletes from attempting to spin and hurl the javelin sidearm in the style of a discus throw.

This rule was put in place when a group of athletes began experimenting with a spin technique referred to as "free style".

[15] On 1 April 1986, the men's javelin (800 grams (1.76 lb)) was redesigned by the governing body (the IAAF Technical Committee).

They decided to change the rules for javelin design because of the increasingly frequent flat landings and the resulting discussions and protests when these attempts were declared valid or invalid by competition judges.

With throws exceeding 100 metres, it was becoming difficult to safely stage the competition within the confines of a stadium infield.

[16] Modifications that manufacturers made to recover some of the lost distance, by increasing tail drag (using holes, rough paint or dimples), were forbidden at the end of 1991 and performances made using implements with such modifications removed from the record books.

[17] Unlike other throwing events, javelin allows the competitor to build speed over a considerable distance.

In addition, the core and upper body strength is necessary to deliver the implement, javelin throwers benefit from the agility and athleticism typically associated with running and jumping events.

Core stability can help in the transference of physical power and force from the ground through the body to the javelin.

From there, a stretch reflex, an involuntary contraction of your chest, helps bring your throwing arm forward with increased force".

Marks set using dimpled rough-tailed javelins manufactured by several companies were nullified effective 20 September 1991.