NWU developes unique javelin-throwing device

The NWU Puk’s athletics team is boasting with a unique javelin-throwing device that is even employed by Olympic athletes to improve their throws.
  Although it may sound strange to practise javelin-throwing indoors it is exactly what Puk Sport and mechanical engineering succeeded in doing in designing and building the device.
  “Amongst other things, athletes can do more throws at different heights and refine speed development by giving attention to the different nuances of power,” says Mr Terseus Liebenberg, athletics coach.
  Since last year he has been working closely with Dr Barend Botha, lecturer at mechanical engineering, and Messrs Christo Greyling and Jozua Roux, engineering students who built the device on his request. The project was part of Greyling and Roux’s final-year project. 
  According to Botha, the project started off with by building a prototype and, ever since it has been put into service it has been constantly refined and perfected to present the students with the best possible device. He says that further development is not excluded and there are already a few ideas on the table to make the device one of the best word-wide.
  The javelin-throwing device is the only one of its kind in Africa and one of few in the world. Well-known athletes who have employed this device for practice include, amongst others, Magnus Arvidsson from Sweden and Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway who has been the Olympic javelin-throwing champion twice.

 
Mr Terseus Liebenberg, athletics coach at NWU Puk Sport, Dr Barend Botha from mechanical engineering and Mr Jozua Roux, with the unique javelin–throwing device.