Max Dehning

Max Dehning (born 9 September 2004) is a German track and field athlete who competes in the javelin.

Early life
From Leverkusen, he was passionate about sports from a young age and played football and handball as a child. His path to athletics was through his older sister Marie, who competes in the heptathlon. He began throwing competitively at U16 level and became German youth champion in the javelin throw.

Career
In September 2021, he set a new personal best in the javelin with a throw over 80 metres for the first time, throwing 80.11 metres in Jena. At the end of that season he left his local club TuS Bergen to become a member of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

In August 2022, Dehning was a silver medalist in the javelin at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.

In August 2023, Dehning was a silver medalist at the 2023 European Athletics U20 Championships in Jerusalem with a throw of 78.07 metres.

On 25 February 2024, Dehning became the youngest man to throw over 90 metres when he recorded a 90.20 metre throw Winter Throwing Championships in Halle, aged 19 years-old. This broke the Steve Backley European U23 record of 89.58 metres - a world record at the time - which dated back to 1990.

In May 2024, he was selected for the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.