Rolling hot toward Tokyo off his two longest-ever throws at the DL Final, Julian Weber has 7 of the 10 top javelin casts in ’25 and has joined the 300-foot club. (TAKESHI NISHIMOTO)
THE FANS WHO CRAM themselves into the standing room section along the south curve of Letzigrund Stadium every year at the Weltklasse meeting don’t ask for much. They just want to fall in love.
This year, their Prince Charming arrived in the form of Julian Weber, a German javelin hunk with a winsome smile and world-leading throw of 298-9 (91.06), who gave his profile a bigtime boost by launching a 299-9 (91.37) PR on his first attempt. The response — apparently it is possible to scream loudly while swiping right — was, in Weber’s words, “deafening.”
Riding that wave of energy, he delivered another PR in round 2 on a throw which he described as technically “not that good” even though it made him the fifteenth man in history to break the 300-foot barrier — 300-2 (91.51), to be exact.
That throw held up for the win and Weber’s first DL title, and made him the likely favorite going into Tokyo. But over the course of a fantastic career that has included 5 national titles and a win at the ’22 European Championships, Weber, who turned 31 the day after Zürich, has left behind a trail of broken hearts, most prominently his own. Since ’19, he has made the final of every Worlds and Olympics, but without reaching the podium. That run featured three 4th-place finishes, including at the ‘21 Games in Tokyo where he came up 5 inches short of bronze.
The upcoming WC will mark his return to the scene of that crime, and though he has vowed to “put his heart” on the line once again, should his freshly smitten fans do the same?
Two American javelin experts say go for it.
According to Kara Winger, the 9-time USATF champion and ‘22 Worlds silver medalist, Weber’s travails have paved the way for a breakthrough. “You don’t,” she recently opined, “get the sweet victory without going through the hard stuff.” She ought to know, having grinded through 16 seasons and three major surgeries before finally medaling in Eugene.
“The resilience Julian has shown over the years speaks to my soul,” Winger continued. “His genuineness and love of the process makes me — and probably the whole javelin world — cheer for him all the harder.”
Winger also describes Weber as being in a great place technically. “The fluidity of his throw makes his movement less jarring than some of the other top guys, less violent and more repeatable.”
That could be an important consideration at the Worlds, as the surface of the javelin runway at the ‘21 Olympics was at times rendered unstable, mushy even per the competitors’ reports, by the intense heat. That unfortunate phenomenon may have cost Weber’s teammate Johannes Vetter — whose technique featured an extremely hard-slamming finish — a gold medal.
Tom Pukstys also likes Weber’s chances at Worlds. “He looks fit,” says the 2-time U.S. Olympian. “He seems to be surrounded by loving friends and family, and all his training and experience have given him the freedom to blast away without fear. Champions generally compete with a smile on their face, and he’s doing that.”
Pukstys also says that while the fans in Tokyo might be a bit more reserved than the standing-room crazies in Zürich, Weber will not be starved of affection. “Keep in mind,” he says, “the Games were different because of Covid. There’s going to be a great crowd this time. Julian will get plenty of support. And he’s going to win.”
Dan McQuaid is a retired English teacher who writes about the throwing events for mcthrows.com. He is a frequent contributor to the Throw Big Throw Far podcast, and has co-authored two books with Vésteinn Hafsteinsson. He also loves his wife. A lot.
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