A 75-year-old athletics official was in a critical condition on Sunday after being speared through the throat by a javelin at an athletics meet in Duesseldorf.

The elderly official at the city's Wilhelm Unger Games for young athletes is reported to have gone to measure a javelin throw, but was hit by the object as it landed, according to local media reports.

Paramedics revived the victim at the scene and an emergency doctor escorted him as he was rushed to the city's University Hospital, where he was operated on after losing a lot of blood from his main artery.

A group of seven spectators in the 800-strong crowd who witnessed the accident were given counselling at the scene as police evacuated the stadium.

After the accident, the meet was immediately cancelled. -AFP