# Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's javelin throw

These are the official results of the Women's Javelin Throw at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

## Medalists

| Gold | Heli Rantanen Finland |
| Silver | Louise McPaul Australia |
| Bronze | Trine Hattestad Norway |

## Abbreviations

| Q | automatic qualification |
| q | qualification by rank |
| DNS | did not start |
| NM | no mark |
| WR | world record |
| AR | area record |
| NR | national record |
| PB | personal best |
| SB | season best |

## Records

Standing records prior to the 1996 Summer Olympics :
| World Record | Petra Felke (GDR) | 80.00 m | September 9, 1988 | Potsdam, East Germany |
| Olympic Record | Petra Felke (GDR) | 74.68 m | September 26, 1988 | Seoul, South Korea |
| Season Best | Felicia Ţilea-Moldovan (ROM) | 69.26 m | June 28, 1996 | Bergen, Norway |

## Qualification
### Group A

| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Distance | Note |
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | Distance | Note |
| 1 | 3 | Trine Hattestad (NOR) | 64.52 | — | — | 64.52 m | |
| 2 | 4 | Natalya Shikolenko (BLR) | X | 50.10 | 62.32 | 62.32 m | |
| 3 | 7 | Li Lei (CHN) | 59.54 | 61.48 | X | 61.48 m | |
| 4 | 8 | Isel López (CUB) | 60.12 | 61.40 | X | 61.40 m | |
| 5 | 10 | Steffi Nerius (GER) | X | 56.82 | 60.98 | 60.98 m | |
| 6 | 12 | Mikaela Ingberg (FIN) | 53.52 | X | 60.46 | 60.46 m | |
| 7 | 14 | Tessa Sanderson (GBR) | 58.86 | 56.80 | 56.64 | 58.86 m | |
| 8 | 15 | Lee Young-Sun (KOR) | 54.62 | 57.94 | 58.66 | 58.66 m | |
| 9 | 16 | Joanna Stone (AUS) | 52.30 | 49.16 | 58.54 | 58.54 m | |
| 10 | 18 | Aysel Taş (TUR) | 55.32 | 56.20 | 57.86 | 57.86 m | |
| 11 | 19 | Taina Uppa (FIN) | 57.74 | 56.80 | X | 57.74 m | |
| 12 | 21 | Renata Strašek (SLO) | 54.72 | 51.46 | 57.04 | 57.04 m | |
| 13 | 23 | Jette Jeppesen (DEN) | 55.24 | 54.52 | 56.16 | 56.16 m | |
| 14 | 24 | Mirela Manjani (ALB) | X | X | 55.64 | 55.64 m | |
| 15 | 30 | Erica Wheeler (USA) | 53.34 | 49.54 | 52.72 | 53.34 m | |
| 16 | 32 | Iloai Suaniu (SAM) | X | 38.08 | X | 38.08 m | |
| — | — | Sonya Radicheva (BUL) | — | — | — | DNS | |

### Group B

| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Distance | Note |
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | Distance | Note |
| 1 | 1 | Felicia Tilea (ROM) | 58.84 | X | 66.94 | 66.94 m | |
| 2 | 2 | Heli Rantanen (FIN) | 66.54 | — | — | 66.54 m | |
| 3 | 5 | Louise McPaul (AUS) | 62.32 | — | — | 62.32 m | |
| 4 | 6 | Odelmys Palma (CUB) | 62.30 | 54.76 | X | 62.30 m | |
| 5 | 9 | Xiomara Rivero (CUB) | X | 52.84 | 61.32 | 61.32 m | |
| 6 | 11 | Karen Forkel (GER) | 60.84 | 59.48 | X | 60.84 m | |
| 7 | 13 | Silke Renk (GER) | 58.88 | 59.10 | 59.70 | 59.70 m | |
| 8 | 17 | Laverne Eve (BAH) | 52.92 | X | 58.48 | 58.48 m | |
| 9 | 20 | Oksana Ovchinnikova (RUS) | X | 57.28 | X | 57.28 m | |
| 10 | 22 | Rita Ramanauskaitė (LTU) | X | 56.38 | 56.94 | 56.94 m | |
| 11 | 25 | Nikola Tomečková (CZE) | 55.02 | 52.48 | X | 55.02 m | |
| 12 | 26 | Nicole Carroll (USA) | 53.46 | 54.74 | 52.18 | 54.74 m | |
| 13 | 27 | Shelley Holroyd (GBR) | 53.46 | 52.72 | 54.72 | 54.72 m | |
| 14 | 28 | Zuleima Aramendiz (COL) | 53.86 | X | 54.24 | 54.24 m | |
| 15 | 29 | Akiko Miyajima (JPN) | 49.58 | 53.18 | 53.98 | 53.98 m | |
| 16 | 31 | Nadine Auzeil (FRA) | 52.76 | 52.66 | 50.84 | 52.76 m | |

## Final

| Rank | Athlete | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Attempts | Distance | Note |
| Rank | Athlete | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Distance | Note |
| | Heli Rantanen (FIN) | 67.94 | 64.72 | 63.84 | 62.60 | 63.82 | 59.18 | 67.94 m | |
| | Louise McPaul (AUS) | 61.72 | 62.74 | 64.18 | 59.76 | 63.34 | 65.54 | 65.54 m | |
| | Trine Hattestad (NOR) | 61.42 | 60.78 | X | 58.66 | 62.74 | 64.98 | 64.98 m | |
| 4 | Isel López (CUB) | X | 63.50 | 57.98 | X | 64.68 | X | 64.68 m | |
| 5 | Xiomara Rivero (CUB) | X | 61.94 | 62.76 | X | 64.48 | 61.60 | 64.48 m | |
| 6 | Karen Forkel (GER) | 56.50 | 59.20 | 64.18 | 58.70 | 62.04 | 62.42 | 64.18 m | |
| 7 | Mikaela Ingberg (FIN) | X | 61.52 | X | 60.30 | X | X | 61.52 m | |
| 8 | Li Lei (CHN) | X | 56.96 | 60.74 | 59.56 | 58.52 | 60.12 | 60.74 m | |
| 9 | Steffi Nerius (GER) | 57.88 | 60.74 | 59.78 | | | | 60.20 m | |
| 10 | Felicia Tilea (ROU) | 56.02 | 57.28 | 59.94 | | | | 59.94 m | |
| 11 | Odelmys Palma (CUB) | X | 59.70 | 57.50 | | | | 59.70 m | |
| 12 | Natalya Shikolenko (BLR) | 58.56 | X | X | | | | 58.56 m | |