TDK Corporation is set to introduce a sensor-equipped “Smart Javelin” at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, giving athletes and spectators a new look at the forces and movements behind elite-level throws.
The technology will be demonstrated during the competition, which runs from September 11 to 13 in the Hungarian capital. TDK, an official global supporter of World Athletics, will equip javelins with sensors capable of collecting detailed information about their movement during flight.
Traditional javelin results focus mainly on the distance achieved. TDK’s technology is designed to capture additional data that cannot be seen from the final result alone. Sensors will measure the release angle, rotation, speed, height and flight path of each throw.
Software will process the information in real time and turn it into visual displays at the venue. The company said the system could help athletes better understand their technique while also giving spectators a clearer picture of the mechanics involved in a world-class throw.
The project builds on TDK’s partnership with World Athletics, which began exploring sensor-based javelin technology ahead of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. Since then, improvements to the sensor unit and software have enabled faster analysis and visualisation of the javelin’s movement.
TDK said the technology could eventually support training, performance analysis and the spectator experience by providing information that is normally unavailable during a competition.
The Smart Javelin demonstration is scheduled for Friday, September 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CEST at the training and warm-up area of the Gyula Zsivótzky National Athletics Centre.
Several international athletes are expected to participate. They include Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage, the world number one in the men’s javelin rankings for 2026, and Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott, the 2025 world champion and a former Olympic gold and bronze medallist.
Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi, the 2024 Olympic champion and 2023 world champion, will join discussions about the technology but will not throw.
Hungarian athletes Máté Horváth, Fanni Kövér and Máté Járvás are also scheduled to take part.
The project forms part of TDK’s wider technology strategy and its “TDK Sensing Within” initiative, which focuses on expanding the use of sensors across different products and industries.
TDK has partnered with World Athletics since 1983, with the relationship increasingly extending into technology projects designed to generate new insights from sporting data.
The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship will bring together world and Olympic champions, Wanda Diamond League winners and leading athletes from global rankings. The event in Budapest carries a $10 million prize fund and is scheduled to take place every two years.
