PTC : Track And Field Spikes Are Specialized Shoes Help ?
If you're trying to achieve break-neck speed, you've probably asked people around you what they thought of the subject. You've probably run into people along the way who think they have speed all figured out. But most of what these individuals think they know is nothing more than myths that have continued to propagate despite being disproven years ago. The following running faster myths will hopefully set the matter straight so that these myths will finally die with Bigfoot and the Lochness Monster.
Myth #1: You're Born With Speed When it comes to running faster myths, this one is probably the most popular. Most people think that being fast is in your genetics. And while that may be true to some extent, the truth is that most people have a faster speed inside of them, they just haven't learned to unlock that speed yet. But anyone can learn to be faster, regardless of how fast their moms and dads happened to be.
Myth #2: Lift Heavier Weights to Run Faster Out of all the running faster myths, this is probably the most confusing. You do see runners working out in the weight room and most speed runners are very muscular. However, if you train for speed using heavier and heavier weights, you may be slowing yourself down. You should train your body for strength and speed, and that includes a regular routine of moderate weight training. But don't go too heavy with the weights or else you may be hurting yourself in the end.
Myth #3: You Should Train for Speed Every Day It makes sense that if you want to get better at something, you should practice every chance you can. But if you want to get faster, you need to allow your body to rest properly between training sessions. When you train for speed, you tear down your muscles just as you do with weight training. If you are following an effective speed training routine, you will experience leg soreness for a couple days, at least in the beginning. That's how you know you're doing some good. But if you don't give your body time to rest, you will never progress and you will even leave your body open to injury. So rest easy between sessions and you'll find that your body responds much more readily to your speed training efforts. That's when you'll start seeing serious results, especially if you never really gave your body a chance to rest before. If you want to run faster, longer and harder than the competition, you will want to put these three running faster myths to rest once and for all. With so many lies and untruths out there surrounding the speed training industry, it's no wonder why athletes and runners everywhere are so confused. But now that you know the absolute truth surrounding speed training, you will be able to go out there and spread the word so that everyone else can become just as fast as you.
Track and field spikes are specialized shoes. They are not only designed for track and field but designed specifically for each individual track or field event. I have been asked where to buy track and field shoes since entering the track equipment business. First, it is important to recognize that there are different types of track shoes depending on what track and field event you participate in. At the younger ages and lower abilities it isn't as important to have specialized track and field shoes. However, as the athletes' ability increases it is important to purchase the appropriate footwear. Multi-event track and field athletes have several pairs of track shoes, generally speaking one for each event. There are spike shoes for hurdling, mid-distance, multi-purpose, pole vault/long jump/ triple jump, high jump, distance, sprint, and javelin. At the upper levels appropriate footwear is critical.
Each different track shoe is designed for a specific purpose.
Sprint shoes are made for distances between 100m to 400m sprints. They generally have spikes only on the front half of the shoe, from the arch forward. They are very lightweight.
Hurdle spikes are used for those athletes that have chosen to sprint while jumping hurdles. They are flexible and designed to help cushion the athlete as they "land" after having jumped the hurdle.
Mid-distance shoes are used in the 800m to one mile race. They usually have a small cushion in the heel and are built sleeker than those built for distance.
Distance spikes are used in 3000m to 10,000m races. These athletic shoes usually have fewer spikes in the bottom of the shoe and more cushioning to handle the impact over a longer distance.
Pole vault/long jump/triple jump shoes they are designed to allow the athlete to jump well while still able to run fast in the run up.
High jump spikes have spikes on both the toe and the heel. They are the only track and field shoe that has spikes on the heel other than javelin shoe.
Javelin shoes are a heavier shoe with spikes that cover the whole bottom of the track shoe. The spikes can be as long as 1" in length.
Multi-purpose spikes are low end mid-distance spikes. They are meant for athletes to generally wear during practice.
Spikes are metal "points" screwed into the bottom of the athletes spike shoes. They range in length from 1/8" to 1" in length. There are 5 different types of spikes.
Tartan spikes - Are used for rubber tracks and look like a dull needle.
Compression Spikes - (X-mas Tree) - they look like a Christmas tree and are used on rubber and tartan surfaces. They are used to help the athlete to avoid their shoes sticking into the track.
Studs - (Blanks) - These are used on indoor tracks and have no spike on them.
Needle - (Slim) - Needle spikes are used on all weather tracks and 3/16 " is generally the recommended length. This allows for good traction while allowing for the athlete to still "release" from the track surface while running.
Pyramid - These are used on dirt or grass surfaces and can range up to 1" in javelin spike shoes.
There are many places that sell track and field spikes. One place an athlete can purchase spike shoes is at your local "Foot Locker" or such stores. However, online shopping is becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, here is a short list of some of the online "stores" everythingtrackandfield, roadrunnersports, vsatheltics (which is the only one that I have found that has youth sizes).
In the state of Wisconsin, it is common for high school throwers to take all three of their attempts in the prelim or final in succession. I am not sure if this practice is common in other states as well or not, but I am in support of the growing movement in the state to move away from this. It is common for collegiate and international competitions as well as the high school state meet, to work through the flight order with each athlete taking one attempt per round. This seems to be a much more efficient way to run a competition as well as creating a more competitive atmosphere for the athletes.
Based on my interpretation of the NFHS rules, the games committee has the ability to determine how athletes take their throws. Some meets will require athletes to take their first two throws in succession and then may choose whether to "hold" their third throw. Other meets may allow athletes to "hold" after each attempt. Still other meets require athletes to take all three throws at once. While every meet is different and has unique circumstances and may need some flexibility based on the number of athletes, facilities, weather conditions, workers, etc, there should be an accepted standard that remains fairly consistent from meet to meet. At the collegiate level, the standard is to take one throw at a time, and if there is a conflict where the athlete must check out, the event judge has the discretion to allow the athlete to take his or her preliminary throws in succession and then continue the remainder of the flight with each athlete taking one attempt.
Having observed both methods, I have found the collegiate method to be superior in many ways. First is meet management. If an athlete takes multiple throws at once, he is called up, completes the attempt, then waits for someone to bring his implement back to him. Sometimes this is done in the time that it takes to measure the throw, and sometimes not. This results in big variations in the time it takes to complete each flight. I have been a part of hosting many meets at the college level, and we can consistently plan on the short events (shot put and weight throw) to take thirty minutes per flight, and the longer events (discus and hammer) about 45 minutes per flight including warm-up time.
Second, it creates a more competitive environment for the athletes. Knowing this in advance allows for better communication and planning when setting up the meet and allows athletes to know how to plan warm-up and when to expect to be ready to compete. Athletes are also forced to stay engaged in the competition for at least the duration of their flight. I have seen athletes lay around all day, warm-up to throw, take their three throws, and then go back to laying around for the remainder of the meet.
Third, there has been a move to make the competition setting more consistent between high school and international competitions so that American high school athletes are better prepared for international youth competitions. While many high school athletes may not go on to compete at the international or collegiate levels, competing the same way gives those athletes more of a perspective about the sport, and promotes more of a connection, knowing that they are doing some of the same things that the elite athletes are doing.
I believe that the majority of the resistance against taking throws one at a time simply comes from coaches having not seen it in action, or fearing change. We host one of the largest high school indoor meets in the state of Wisconsin each year, the Nelson-Daniels Invite. Over the last 5 years or so we have implemented the one throw at a time method. It has worked great, and we have gotten little to no negative feedback about it.
Javelin throwing is highly technical, and it is also stressful on the arms and shoulders. In a region where there is a dearth of internationally competitive field athletes, javelin thrower Justin Arop rose to the occasion and for many years represented Uganda at the All-Africa Games, the Commonwealth of Nations' Games, and the Olympic Games. In the process he broke the African record. Arop's national record still stands, and he remains Uganda's greatest individual field athlete.
Arop's remarkable athletic talent was evident when he was a teenager. In 1976, at the East and Central African Championships that were held in Zanzibar, 18 year-old Arop won the gold medal with a distance of 68.05m. Arop dethroned the long-time champion John Mayaka of Kenya who had also won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 held in Edinburgh with an Africa record throw of 77.56m. At the forthcoming East and Central African Championships, Arop would again become the javelin champion (71.04m) in 1977 in Mogadishu in Somalia, in 1981 (74.94m) in Mombasa in Kenya, in 1982 (73.02m) in Cairo in Egypt, in 1985 in Cairo, in 1989 (69.94m) in Arusha in Tanzania, and in 1990 (66.50m) in Jinja in Uganda. In 1989, in the same Championships, the strong and agile Arop won gold with his shot putt throw of 13.15m. The Championships ended in 1990; they were briefly revived in 1995 as East African (Zone V) Championships, but they had lost their spark and were only held for three more years---in 2001, 2003, and 2005.
At the All-Africa Games of 1978, held in Algiers, Justin Arop won gold with a national record throw of 76.94 meters, excellently distant ahead of runner-up silver medallist Ali Memmi of Tunisia (71.28m), and bronze medallist John Mayaka (70.76m) of Kenya. The next venue of the All-Africa Games was Nairobi in Kenya in 1987, nearly 10 years after the Algiers 1978 venue. Arop ably defended his continental title, winning gold with a throw of 73.42m. A meter behind was silver medallist Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania who was ahead of the bronze medallist George Odera (71.30m) of Kenya.
Arop is still the only track and field athlete to ever represent Uganda at three Olympic venues. Born on March 24th 1958 in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, Arop was 22 years old when he represented Uganda at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. In the Qualification Round of the javelin throw, that was contested on July 26th 1980, Arop's best throw was amazing. His best distance was 82.68m---a new Uganda record that has not yet been surpassed! It was also a new Africa record! Nevertheless, many of the javelin throwers were ahead of Arop--he was placed 8th and well behind the best Qualifying Round athlete Ferenec Paraqi of Hungary (88.76m). The requirement had been for the first twelve, plus any additional competitors who would throw more than 80 meters to qualify for the Final Round. Arop was the sole African finalist. Marius Corbett of the Republic of South Africa established the current Africa record, of 88.75 meters, in 1998.
The twelve Olympic finalists made their final throws on July 27th. With a best throw of 77.34m, including some fouls, Justin Arop's ranking dropped to 12th, or last among the finalists. Unluckily, Arop's final throw was 77.34m, more than 5 meters behind his record-breaking best throw in the qualifying rounds! The winners were gold medallist Dainis Kula (Soviet Union) with 91.20m, silver medallist Aleksandr Makarov (Soviet Union) with 89.64m, and Wolfgang Hanisch (East Germany) with a hurl of 86.72m.
Among the many years that Justin Arop emerged javelin winner at the Uganda Athletic Championships were 1981 (75.90m), 1982 (68.30m), 1984 (64.17m), 1985 (65.22m), 1986 (74.10m), 1987 (65.23m), 1990 (64.48m), and 1991 (66.76m). Arop was also national shot putt champion in 1982 (14.24m), 1985 (13.20m), and 1986 (12.82m).
At the Olympics of 1984 that were held in August in Los Angeles, the challenge was for the top twelve javelin throwers plus all those who achieved at least 83 meters to advance to the Final Round. On August 4th, Arop's performance amongst the athletes in the Group A Qualification Round was a far cry from his Olympic performance in Moscow in 1980. This time, Arop's best throw of 69.76m was the worst among the 14 competitors in the Group. Arop was eliminated from advancing to the finals. In the end, Arop's 69.76m distance placed him 27th overall, just ahead of last 28th and last-placed Mike O'Rourke of New Zealand whose outrageous fouling did not allow him to score at all. The other African competitor, Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania, who Arop was competitively familiar with, was placed 19th overall.
On September 24th 1988, 30 year-old Arop was ready to throw the javelin at his third Olympic appearance. This time the yardstick was for the first twelve and ties, and all those who had thrown to a distance of 79 meters to advance to the Final Round. There were two Qualification Round groups, and Arop was in Group B. Out of the 19 Group B competitors, Arop was placed 17th with a best throw of 69.10m. He therefore did not make it to the finals. In the end Arop was placed 33rd overall out of the 38 competitors. Curiously, Zakayo Malekwa, again the only other African competitor was placed 34th given his best throw of 67.56m. The winning Olympic medallists were Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (85.90m, a new Olympic record), Seppo Raty of Finland (81.62m), and Tapio Korjus of Finland (81.42m).
On August 29th 1987, at the 2nd IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Rome, out of the 37 contestants, Arop was eliminated in the qualification round after posting a best throw of 71.76 meters and finishing 14th. The medal-winning finalists were future Olympic medallist Seppo Raty of Finland (83.54m), Viktor Yevsyukov of the Soviet Union (82.52m), and future Olympic medallist Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (82.20m). And in Ulm in West Germany at an athletics meet, Justin Arop hurled the javelin to 75.52 meters on August 6th 1988.
On January 3rd at the Commonwealth Games of 1990, held in Auckland in New Zealand, Arop's best javelin attempt was 70.74m. It was the best among the African competitors in the event, but it would only afford him an 8th placed finals position. The medal winners were Englishmen Steve Backley (86.02m) and Mick Hill (83.32m), and New Zealander Gavin Lovegrove (81.66m).
Justin Arop was only 36 years old when he passed away in 1994. The Arop Memorial Championships, in his honor, were first held in Gulu in northern Uganda, at the Pece Stadium, in July 2006, September 2007, and April 2009. In April 2010, the family pleaded to the Uganda government to erect a school or a vocational institute in honor of Justin Arop.
Myth #1: You're Born With Speed When it comes to running faster myths, this one is probably the most popular. Most people think that being fast is in your genetics. And while that may be true to some extent, the truth is that most people have a faster speed inside of them, they just haven't learned to unlock that speed yet. But anyone can learn to be faster, regardless of how fast their moms and dads happened to be.
Myth #2: Lift Heavier Weights to Run Faster Out of all the running faster myths, this is probably the most confusing. You do see runners working out in the weight room and most speed runners are very muscular. However, if you train for speed using heavier and heavier weights, you may be slowing yourself down. You should train your body for strength and speed, and that includes a regular routine of moderate weight training. But don't go too heavy with the weights or else you may be hurting yourself in the end.
Myth #3: You Should Train for Speed Every Day It makes sense that if you want to get better at something, you should practice every chance you can. But if you want to get faster, you need to allow your body to rest properly between training sessions. When you train for speed, you tear down your muscles just as you do with weight training. If you are following an effective speed training routine, you will experience leg soreness for a couple days, at least in the beginning. That's how you know you're doing some good. But if you don't give your body time to rest, you will never progress and you will even leave your body open to injury. So rest easy between sessions and you'll find that your body responds much more readily to your speed training efforts. That's when you'll start seeing serious results, especially if you never really gave your body a chance to rest before. If you want to run faster, longer and harder than the competition, you will want to put these three running faster myths to rest once and for all. With so many lies and untruths out there surrounding the speed training industry, it's no wonder why athletes and runners everywhere are so confused. But now that you know the absolute truth surrounding speed training, you will be able to go out there and spread the word so that everyone else can become just as fast as you.
Track and field spikes are specialized shoes. They are not only designed for track and field but designed specifically for each individual track or field event. I have been asked where to buy track and field shoes since entering the track equipment business. First, it is important to recognize that there are different types of track shoes depending on what track and field event you participate in. At the younger ages and lower abilities it isn't as important to have specialized track and field shoes. However, as the athletes' ability increases it is important to purchase the appropriate footwear. Multi-event track and field athletes have several pairs of track shoes, generally speaking one for each event. There are spike shoes for hurdling, mid-distance, multi-purpose, pole vault/long jump/ triple jump, high jump, distance, sprint, and javelin. At the upper levels appropriate footwear is critical.
Each different track shoe is designed for a specific purpose.
Sprint shoes are made for distances between 100m to 400m sprints. They generally have spikes only on the front half of the shoe, from the arch forward. They are very lightweight.
Hurdle spikes are used for those athletes that have chosen to sprint while jumping hurdles. They are flexible and designed to help cushion the athlete as they "land" after having jumped the hurdle.
Mid-distance shoes are used in the 800m to one mile race. They usually have a small cushion in the heel and are built sleeker than those built for distance.
Distance spikes are used in 3000m to 10,000m races. These athletic shoes usually have fewer spikes in the bottom of the shoe and more cushioning to handle the impact over a longer distance.
Pole vault/long jump/triple jump shoes they are designed to allow the athlete to jump well while still able to run fast in the run up.
High jump spikes have spikes on both the toe and the heel. They are the only track and field shoe that has spikes on the heel other than javelin shoe.
Javelin shoes are a heavier shoe with spikes that cover the whole bottom of the track shoe. The spikes can be as long as 1" in length.
Multi-purpose spikes are low end mid-distance spikes. They are meant for athletes to generally wear during practice.
Spikes are metal "points" screwed into the bottom of the athletes spike shoes. They range in length from 1/8" to 1" in length. There are 5 different types of spikes.
Tartan spikes - Are used for rubber tracks and look like a dull needle.
Compression Spikes - (X-mas Tree) - they look like a Christmas tree and are used on rubber and tartan surfaces. They are used to help the athlete to avoid their shoes sticking into the track.
Studs - (Blanks) - These are used on indoor tracks and have no spike on them.
Needle - (Slim) - Needle spikes are used on all weather tracks and 3/16 " is generally the recommended length. This allows for good traction while allowing for the athlete to still "release" from the track surface while running.
Pyramid - These are used on dirt or grass surfaces and can range up to 1" in javelin spike shoes.
There are many places that sell track and field spikes. One place an athlete can purchase spike shoes is at your local "Foot Locker" or such stores. However, online shopping is becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, here is a short list of some of the online "stores" everythingtrackandfield, roadrunnersports, vsatheltics (which is the only one that I have found that has youth sizes).
In the state of Wisconsin, it is common for high school throwers to take all three of their attempts in the prelim or final in succession. I am not sure if this practice is common in other states as well or not, but I am in support of the growing movement in the state to move away from this. It is common for collegiate and international competitions as well as the high school state meet, to work through the flight order with each athlete taking one attempt per round. This seems to be a much more efficient way to run a competition as well as creating a more competitive atmosphere for the athletes.
Based on my interpretation of the NFHS rules, the games committee has the ability to determine how athletes take their throws. Some meets will require athletes to take their first two throws in succession and then may choose whether to "hold" their third throw. Other meets may allow athletes to "hold" after each attempt. Still other meets require athletes to take all three throws at once. While every meet is different and has unique circumstances and may need some flexibility based on the number of athletes, facilities, weather conditions, workers, etc, there should be an accepted standard that remains fairly consistent from meet to meet. At the collegiate level, the standard is to take one throw at a time, and if there is a conflict where the athlete must check out, the event judge has the discretion to allow the athlete to take his or her preliminary throws in succession and then continue the remainder of the flight with each athlete taking one attempt.
Having observed both methods, I have found the collegiate method to be superior in many ways. First is meet management. If an athlete takes multiple throws at once, he is called up, completes the attempt, then waits for someone to bring his implement back to him. Sometimes this is done in the time that it takes to measure the throw, and sometimes not. This results in big variations in the time it takes to complete each flight. I have been a part of hosting many meets at the college level, and we can consistently plan on the short events (shot put and weight throw) to take thirty minutes per flight, and the longer events (discus and hammer) about 45 minutes per flight including warm-up time.
Second, it creates a more competitive environment for the athletes. Knowing this in advance allows for better communication and planning when setting up the meet and allows athletes to know how to plan warm-up and when to expect to be ready to compete. Athletes are also forced to stay engaged in the competition for at least the duration of their flight. I have seen athletes lay around all day, warm-up to throw, take their three throws, and then go back to laying around for the remainder of the meet.
Third, there has been a move to make the competition setting more consistent between high school and international competitions so that American high school athletes are better prepared for international youth competitions. While many high school athletes may not go on to compete at the international or collegiate levels, competing the same way gives those athletes more of a perspective about the sport, and promotes more of a connection, knowing that they are doing some of the same things that the elite athletes are doing.
I believe that the majority of the resistance against taking throws one at a time simply comes from coaches having not seen it in action, or fearing change. We host one of the largest high school indoor meets in the state of Wisconsin each year, the Nelson-Daniels Invite. Over the last 5 years or so we have implemented the one throw at a time method. It has worked great, and we have gotten little to no negative feedback about it.
Javelin throwing is highly technical, and it is also stressful on the arms and shoulders. In a region where there is a dearth of internationally competitive field athletes, javelin thrower Justin Arop rose to the occasion and for many years represented Uganda at the All-Africa Games, the Commonwealth of Nations' Games, and the Olympic Games. In the process he broke the African record. Arop's national record still stands, and he remains Uganda's greatest individual field athlete.
Arop's remarkable athletic talent was evident when he was a teenager. In 1976, at the East and Central African Championships that were held in Zanzibar, 18 year-old Arop won the gold medal with a distance of 68.05m. Arop dethroned the long-time champion John Mayaka of Kenya who had also won the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1974 held in Edinburgh with an Africa record throw of 77.56m. At the forthcoming East and Central African Championships, Arop would again become the javelin champion (71.04m) in 1977 in Mogadishu in Somalia, in 1981 (74.94m) in Mombasa in Kenya, in 1982 (73.02m) in Cairo in Egypt, in 1985 in Cairo, in 1989 (69.94m) in Arusha in Tanzania, and in 1990 (66.50m) in Jinja in Uganda. In 1989, in the same Championships, the strong and agile Arop won gold with his shot putt throw of 13.15m. The Championships ended in 1990; they were briefly revived in 1995 as East African (Zone V) Championships, but they had lost their spark and were only held for three more years---in 2001, 2003, and 2005.
At the All-Africa Games of 1978, held in Algiers, Justin Arop won gold with a national record throw of 76.94 meters, excellently distant ahead of runner-up silver medallist Ali Memmi of Tunisia (71.28m), and bronze medallist John Mayaka (70.76m) of Kenya. The next venue of the All-Africa Games was Nairobi in Kenya in 1987, nearly 10 years after the Algiers 1978 venue. Arop ably defended his continental title, winning gold with a throw of 73.42m. A meter behind was silver medallist Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania who was ahead of the bronze medallist George Odera (71.30m) of Kenya.
Arop is still the only track and field athlete to ever represent Uganda at three Olympic venues. Born on March 24th 1958 in the Acholi region of northern Uganda, Arop was 22 years old when he represented Uganda at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. In the Qualification Round of the javelin throw, that was contested on July 26th 1980, Arop's best throw was amazing. His best distance was 82.68m---a new Uganda record that has not yet been surpassed! It was also a new Africa record! Nevertheless, many of the javelin throwers were ahead of Arop--he was placed 8th and well behind the best Qualifying Round athlete Ferenec Paraqi of Hungary (88.76m). The requirement had been for the first twelve, plus any additional competitors who would throw more than 80 meters to qualify for the Final Round. Arop was the sole African finalist. Marius Corbett of the Republic of South Africa established the current Africa record, of 88.75 meters, in 1998.
The twelve Olympic finalists made their final throws on July 27th. With a best throw of 77.34m, including some fouls, Justin Arop's ranking dropped to 12th, or last among the finalists. Unluckily, Arop's final throw was 77.34m, more than 5 meters behind his record-breaking best throw in the qualifying rounds! The winners were gold medallist Dainis Kula (Soviet Union) with 91.20m, silver medallist Aleksandr Makarov (Soviet Union) with 89.64m, and Wolfgang Hanisch (East Germany) with a hurl of 86.72m.
Among the many years that Justin Arop emerged javelin winner at the Uganda Athletic Championships were 1981 (75.90m), 1982 (68.30m), 1984 (64.17m), 1985 (65.22m), 1986 (74.10m), 1987 (65.23m), 1990 (64.48m), and 1991 (66.76m). Arop was also national shot putt champion in 1982 (14.24m), 1985 (13.20m), and 1986 (12.82m).
At the Olympics of 1984 that were held in August in Los Angeles, the challenge was for the top twelve javelin throwers plus all those who achieved at least 83 meters to advance to the Final Round. On August 4th, Arop's performance amongst the athletes in the Group A Qualification Round was a far cry from his Olympic performance in Moscow in 1980. This time, Arop's best throw of 69.76m was the worst among the 14 competitors in the Group. Arop was eliminated from advancing to the finals. In the end, Arop's 69.76m distance placed him 27th overall, just ahead of last 28th and last-placed Mike O'Rourke of New Zealand whose outrageous fouling did not allow him to score at all. The other African competitor, Zakayo Malekwa of Tanzania, who Arop was competitively familiar with, was placed 19th overall.
On September 24th 1988, 30 year-old Arop was ready to throw the javelin at his third Olympic appearance. This time the yardstick was for the first twelve and ties, and all those who had thrown to a distance of 79 meters to advance to the Final Round. There were two Qualification Round groups, and Arop was in Group B. Out of the 19 Group B competitors, Arop was placed 17th with a best throw of 69.10m. He therefore did not make it to the finals. In the end Arop was placed 33rd overall out of the 38 competitors. Curiously, Zakayo Malekwa, again the only other African competitor was placed 34th given his best throw of 67.56m. The winning Olympic medallists were Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (85.90m, a new Olympic record), Seppo Raty of Finland (81.62m), and Tapio Korjus of Finland (81.42m).
On August 29th 1987, at the 2nd IAAF World Championships in Athletics held in Rome, out of the 37 contestants, Arop was eliminated in the qualification round after posting a best throw of 71.76 meters and finishing 14th. The medal-winning finalists were future Olympic medallist Seppo Raty of Finland (83.54m), Viktor Yevsyukov of the Soviet Union (82.52m), and future Olympic medallist Jan Zelezny of Czechoslovakia (82.20m). And in Ulm in West Germany at an athletics meet, Justin Arop hurled the javelin to 75.52 meters on August 6th 1988.
On January 3rd at the Commonwealth Games of 1990, held in Auckland in New Zealand, Arop's best javelin attempt was 70.74m. It was the best among the African competitors in the event, but it would only afford him an 8th placed finals position. The medal winners were Englishmen Steve Backley (86.02m) and Mick Hill (83.32m), and New Zealander Gavin Lovegrove (81.66m).
Justin Arop was only 36 years old when he passed away in 1994. The Arop Memorial Championships, in his honor, were first held in Gulu in northern Uganda, at the Pece Stadium, in July 2006, September 2007, and April 2009. In April 2010, the family pleaded to the Uganda government to erect a school or a vocational institute in honor of Justin Arop.
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