1980 Olympics javelin throw final

This was another controversial Olympic final. In the 1980 Olympics, held in Moscow, the favorite was Hungary’s Ferenc Paragi but he did not perform well, finishing 10th. East German Detlef Michel was also highly considered but did not even make the final. There were few other big names left in the final. The best Soviet thrower was the Latvian Dainis Kūla but in the final he opened with two fouls. On his third throw he got off a big toss, but it quite obviously landed flat and was a foul. However, the official waved the white flag, indicating a fair throw, and they measured it -- at (291-7¼) he was now in the lead. Writing in _Track Field News_ Jim Dunaway noted, “’Incompetent officiating’ is the kind of explanation one can make. ’Cheating’ is the word many people used. Judge for yourself.“ Unfortunately, while the throw is on this video, they don’t show how the javelin landed. In the next round Kūla hit (299-2½) which would win him