# Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw

The Men's Javelin Throw event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, had an entry list of 23 competitors, with two qualifying groups (23 throwers) before the final (15) took place on Saturday Monday 26, 1976. The top twelve and ties, and all those reaching 79.00 metres advanced to the final. The qualification round was held on Sunday, July 25, 1976.
The winning margin was 6.66 metres which as of June 2024 remains the only time the men's javelin was won by more than six metres at the Olympics or the World Athletics Championships.

## Medalists

| Gold | Miklós Németh Hungary |
| Silver | Hannu Siitonen Finland |
| Bronze | Gheorghe Megelea Romania |

## Abbreviations

* All results shown are in metres
| Q | automatic qualification |
| q | qualification by rank |
| DNS | did not start |
| NM | no mark |
| OR | olympic record |
| WR | world record |
| AR | area record |
| NR | national record |
| PB | personal best |
| SB | season best |

## Records

Standing records prior to the 1976 Summer Olympics :
| World Record | Klaus Wolfermann (FRG) | 94.08 m | May 5, 1973 | Leverkusen, West Germany |
| Olympic Record | Klaus Wolfermann (FRG) | 90.48 m | September 3, 1972 | Munich, West Germany |

## Qualification
### Group A

| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Result | Note |
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | Result | Note |
| 1 | 1 | Seppo Hovinen (FIN) | 89.76 | — | — | 89.76 m | |
| 2 | 2 | Miklós Németh (HUN) | 89.28 | — | — | 89.28 m | |
| 3 | 6 | Jorma Jaakola (FIN) | 83.84 | — | — | 83.84 m | |
| 4 | 7 | Piotr Bielczyk (POL) | 82.56 | — | — | 82.56 m | |
| 5 | 8 | Michael Wessing (FRG) | 75.98 | 78.28 | 82.54 | 82.54 m | |
| 6 | 9 | Terje Thorslund (NOR) | 82.52 | — | — | 82.52 m | |
| 7 | 10 | Jānis Lūsis (URS) | 82.08 | — | — | 82.08 m | |
| 8 | 14 | Gheorghe Megelea (ROM) | 80.28 | — | — | 80.28 m | |
| 9 | 16 | Hannu Siitonen (FIN) | 79.38 | — | — | 79.38 m | |
| 10 | 19 | Sándor Boros (HUN) | 77.60 | 77.18 | 70.06 | 77.60 m | |
| 11 | 20 | Ferenc Paragi (HUN) | 73.54 | 77.48 | 75.76 | 77.48 m | |

### Group B

| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Result | Note |
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | Result | Note |
| 1 | 3 | Phil Olsen (CAN) | 87.76 | — | — | 87.76 m | |
| 2 | 4 | Sam Colson (USA) | 72.28 | 71.74 | 86.64 | 86.64 m | |
| 3 | 5 | Vasyl Yershov (URS) | 85.68 | — | — | 85.68 m | |
| 4 | 10 | Amado Morales (PUR) | 82.08 | — | — | 82.08 m | |
| 5 | 12 | Valentin Dzhonev (BUL) | 75.66 | 80.84 | — | 80.84 m | |
| 6 | 13 | Bjørn Grimnes (NOR) | 73.74 | 80.32 | — | 80.32 m | |
| 7 | 15 | Anthony Hall (USA) | 79.56 | — | — | 79.56 m | |
| 8 | 17 | Jacques Aye Abehi (CIV) | 74.76 | 78.40 | 70.10 | 78.40 m | |
| 9 | 18 | Richard George (USA) | X | 78.32 | 64.96 | 78.32 m | |
| 10 | 21 | Óskar Jakobsson (ISL) | 72.78 | 71.90 | X | 72.78 m | |
| 11 | 22 | Ghassan Faddoul (LIB) | X | 54.92 | 53.90 | 54.92 m | |
| — | — | Urs von Wartburg (SUI) | X | X | X | NM | |

## Final

| Rank | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Result | Note |
| Rank | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Result | Note |
| | Miklós Németh (HUN) | 94.58 | — | — | 83.32 | 84.76 | 86.84 | 94.58 m | WR |
| | Hannu Siitonen (FIN) | 87.92 | X | 86.58 | X | X | 80.92 | 87.92 m | |
| | Gheorghe Megelea (ROM) | 87.16 | 83.16 | 82.92 | 82.10 | X | X | 87.16 m | |
| 4 | Piotr Bielczyk (POL) | X | 77.90 | 86.50 | 81.00 | 82.28 | 82.94 | 86.50 m | |
| 5 | Sam Colson (USA) | 77.70 | 85.08 | 86.16 | X | X | X | 86.16 m | |
| 6 | Vasyl Yershov (URS) | 85.26 | X | 77.06 | X | 78.32 | 82.50 | 85.26 m | |
| 7 | Seppo Hovinen (FIN) | 83.46 | 83.92 | 84.26 | X | X | X | 84.26 m | |
| 8 | Jānis Lūsis (URS) | 79.74 | 77.58 | 73.76 | 74.00 | X | 80.26 | 80.26 m | |
| 9 | Michael Wessing (FRG) | 78.44 | X | 79.06 | | | | 79.06 m | |
| 10 | Terje Thorslund (NOR) | 78.24 | X | 76.48 | | | | 78.24 m | |
| 11 | Phil Olsen (CAN) | X | X | 77.70 | | | | 77.70 m | |
| 12 | Amado Morales (PUR) | 71.30 | X | 75.54 | | | | 75.54 m | |
| 13 | Bjørn Grimnes (NOR) | X | 73.24 | 74.88 | | | | 74.88 m | |
| 14 | Valentin Dzhonev (BUL) | 73.16 | X | 73.88 | | | | 73.88 m | |
| 15 | Anthony Hall (USA) | X | 68.92 | 71.70 | | | | 71.70 m | |
| — | Jorma Jaakola (FIN) | — | — | — | | | | DNS | |