Javelin Kills Official

[Altor]

The AP story is a little sparse on the details of this tragedy. At the moment, we only know that it appears like an accident.

Officials, athletes, coaches, and spectators cannot be told this enough:
If you are anywhere near a throwing sector, you have to be paying attention. If you are throwing into the sector, you have to be paying attention (i.e. make sure the sector is clear).

Throwing sectors are some of the most dangerous places to be in all of sports (though I still don't envy the NFL umpire). Pole vault seems to get the most safety-based rules in track and field, and in some ways that's deserved. But the discus sector actually has more injuries. And it's not just the long throws that go astray. There was a story a few years ago about an official who was killed by a shot put after he walked across the sector 50 feet from the circle after the competitor looked and saw it was clear.