The Chinese youth stunned the world of athletics with the second best women’s javelin throw in history

ByTech Word News

Yan Ziyi produced one of the greatest performances in athletics history after launching a mammoth throw of 71.74m at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen on Saturday. At just 18 years old, the Chinese sensation stunned the world of athletics by recording the second-longest ever female javelin throw, trailing only Barbora Špotáková’s 2008 world record of 72.28m.

What made this feat even more insane was the fact that Yan achieved it on her very first throw in the competition. The teenager instantly broke the Diamond League record, broke the Asian record and in one incredible moment bettered her own under-20 world record.

Yan entered the competition hoping to break the 65m mark, but instead rewrote history. The Chinese star admitted after the event that even she couldn’t believe what happened. She later decided not to use her remaining attempts to save her energy for the upcoming competitions.

“I came into this race with a goal of 65m, so I was really excited to see the result come,” said Yan. “After that very first throw, I decided to do the rest as I felt it would be smart to save some energy as I have quite a lot of international events coming up soon.”

IT IS A REALLY HUGE THROW!

18-year-old Yan Ziyi from China performed an insane throw of 71.74m at the Xiamen Diamond League

The second furthest throw in history!!!!!
pic.twitter.com/yqJUkbEzKA— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) May 24, 2026

Best Throws in Javelin (Women)

  • Barbora Špotáková (Czech Republic): 72.28 m — Stuttgart, Germany, 2008
  • Yan Ziyi (China): 71.74m – Xiamen Diamond League, Xiamen, 2026
  • Osleidys Menendez (Cuba): 71.70m — Helsinki World Championships, 2005
  • Maria Andrejczyk (Poland): 71.40m — Split, Croatia, 2021
  • Mariya Abakumova (Russia): 70.53m — Berlin, Germany, 2013

YAN ZIYI EYES WORLD RECORD

Yan Ziyi admitted she was disappointed after missing out on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo due to age restrictions, but said the setback ultimately helped her grow and better prepare for the future.

Despite having the second-longest throw in history, the Chinese teenager said she was not satisfied with being second best and now has her sights firmly set on breaking the world record.

“I didn’t think about the world record before. Today, my goal was maybe to try to aim for the regional record. But now I think I can push harder. I’ll see how it goes in the next few years and prepare to break the world record,” Yan said.

Yan Ziyi was born in 2008 and quickly became one of the brightest young stars in athletics. The Chinese teenager won gold at the 2024 U20 World Championships and broke the U20 world record several times before her stunning throw of 71.74m in Xiamen.

With this effort, she became only the sixth woman in history to break the 70-meter barrier in the javelin. Yan’s incredible rise has already made her a sensation in China and the teenager believes the best is yet to come.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

24 May 2026 14:27 IST

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