Egil Danielsen

World Record: 85.71m (281’ 2”) Melbourne, Australia 26 Nov 1956

In 1956 Egil Danielsen achieved a personal best. Fortunately for him, it was in the middle of the Olympic final. Danielsen had come in 10th at the 1954 European Championships. However, in the period leading up to the Melbourne Olympics, he was in excellent form.

In the final Danielsen, using a wooden javelin, was in sixth position. He noticed that Viktor Tsibulenko (USSR) improved by four meters (13 feet) when he switched to a metal javelin. Danielsen asked if he could use it, and Tsibulenko sportingly agreed. Danielsen then let loose an explosive throw that soared on past the world record mark, almost to the runway of the pole vault. It measured 85.71 meters. Danielsen did a dance of glee and kissed everybody in sight.

It was to be the highlight of his career - he never approached that distance again. He was second at the 1958 European Championships to Sidlo, 80.16 meters (263' 0") to 78.27 meters (256' 9"). He did not get past the qualifying rounds at the Rome Olympics. At these Olympics Tsibulenko had a belated reward for his generous gesture four years earlier, when he won the gold medal with a throw of 84.64 meters (277' 8").

source: World Record Breakers in Track & Field Athletics