Hammer throw
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consists of a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip. The size of the ball varies between men's and women's competitions (see Competition section below for details).
Athletics Hammer throw | |
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Irish-born American John Flanagan in the hammer throw competition at the Summer Olympics 1908 in London | |
World records | |
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Women | |
Olympic records | |
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Women |
History
With roots dating back to the 15th century, the contemporary version of the hammer throw is one of the oldest of Olympic Games competitions, first included at the 1900 games in Paris, France (the second Olympiad of the modern era). Its history since the late 1960s and legacy prior to inclusion in the Olympics have been dominated by European and Eastern European influence, which has affected interest in the event in other parts of the world.
The hammer evolved from its early informal origins to become part of the Scottish Highland games in the late 18th century, where the original version of the event is still contested today.
While the men's hammer throw has been part of the Olympics since 1900, the International Association of Athletics Federations did not start ratifying women's marks until 1995. Women's hammer throw was first included in the Olympics at the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia, after having been included in the World Championships a year earlier.
Competition
The men's hammer weighs 16 pounds (7.26 kg) and measures 3 feet 11 3⁄4 inches (121.3 cm) in length, and the women's hammer weighs 8.82 lb (4 kg) and 3 ft 11 in (119.4 cm) in length.[1] Like the other throwing events, the competition is decided by who can throw the implement the farthest.
Although commonly thought of as a strength event, technical advancements in the last 30 years have evolved hammer throw competition to a point where more focus is on speed in order to gain maximum distance.
The throwing motion involves about two swings from stationary position, then three, four or very rarely five rotations of the body in circular motion using a complicated heel-toe movement of the foot. The ball moves in a circular path, gradually increasing in velocity with each turn with the high point of the hammer ball toward the target sector and the low point at the back of the circle. The thrower releases the ball at the side of the circle as the hammer's velocity tends upward and toward the target.
As of 2015 the men's hammer world record is held by Yuriy Sedykh, who threw 86.74 m (284 ft 6 3⁄4 in) at the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, West Germany on 30 August.
The world record for the women's hammer is held by Anita Włodarczyk, who threw 82.98 m (272 ft 2 3⁄4 in) during the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial on 28 August 2016.
All-time top 25 hammer throwers
Men
- Updated August 2015
Rank | Mark | Athlete | Location | Date | Ref |
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1 | 86.74 m (284 ft 6 3⁄4 in) | Stuttgart | 30 August 1986 | ||
2 | 86.04 m (282 ft 3 1⁄4 in) | Dresden | 3 July 1986 | ||
3 | 84.90 m (278 ft 6 1⁄2 in) | Minsk | 21 July 2005 | ||
4 | 84.86 m (278 ft 4 3⁄4 in) | Prague | 29 June 2003 | ||
5 | 84.62 m (277 ft 7 1⁄4 in) | Seville | 6 June 1992 | ||
6 | 84.51 m (277 ft 3 in) | Grodno | 9 July 2008 | ||
7 | 84.48 m (277 ft 1 3⁄4 in) | Lausanne | 12 July 1990 | ||
8 | 84.40 m (276 ft 10 3⁄4 in) | Banská Bystrica | 9 September 1984 | ||
9 | 84.19 m (276 ft 2 1⁄2 in) | Szombathely | 10 August 2003 | ||
10 | 83.93 m (275 ft 4 1⁄4 in) | Szczecin | 9 August 2015 | [2] | |
11 | 83.68 m (274 ft 6 1⁄4 in) | Zalaegerszeg | 19 September 1998 | ||
12 | 83.46 m (273 ft 9 3⁄4 in) | Sochi | 26 May 1990 | ||
13 | 83.43 m (273 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | Adler | 10 February 2002 | ||
14 | 83.40 m (273 ft 7 1⁄4 in) | Athens | 16 May 1988 | ||
15 | 83.38 m (273 ft 6 1⁄2 in) | Edmonton | 5 August 2001 | ||
16 | 83.30 m (273 ft 3 1⁄2 in) | Lahti | 14 July 2004 | ||
17 | 83.04 m (272 ft 5 1⁄4 in) | Frankfurt | 29 June 1997 | ||
18 | 83.00 m (272 ft 3 1⁄2 in) | Saint-Denis | 4 June 1998 | ||
19 | 82.78 m (271 ft 7 in) | Dortmund | 26 June 1999 | ||
20 | 82.69 m (271 ft 3 1⁄2 in) | Zürich | 16 August 2014 | ||
21 | 82.64 m (271 ft 1 1⁄2 in) | Dresden | 3 August 1985 | ||
22 | 82.62 m (271 ft 3⁄4 in) | Zalaegerszeg | 30 May 1998 | ||
82.62 m (271 ft 3⁄4 in) | Kiev | 27 April 2002 | |||
24 | 82.58 m (270 ft 11 in) | Celje | 2 September 2009 | ||
25 | 82.54 m (270 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | Krasnodar | 13 May 1992 |
Notes
Below is a list of all other throws equal or superior to 86.50 m:
- Yuriy Sedykh 86.66 (1986). Sedykh also threw 86.68 and 86.62 ancillary marks during world record competition.
Non-legal marks
- Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus also threw 86.73 on 3 July 2005 in Brest, but this performance was annulled due to drugs disqualification.
Women
- Correct as of September 2019.[3]
Rank | Mark | Athlete | Date | Location | Ref |
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1 | 82.98 m (272 ft 2 3⁄4 in) | 28 August 2016 | Warsaw | [4] | |
2 | 79.42 m (260 ft 6 3⁄4 in) | 21 May 2011 | Halle | ||
3 | 78.51 m (257 ft 6 3⁄4 in) | 5 July 2012 | Cheboksary | ||
4 | 78.24 m (256 ft 8 1⁄4 in) | 27 July 2019 | Des Moines | [5] | |
5 | 77.78 m (255 ft 2 in) | 8 June 2018 | Chorzów | [6] | |
6 | 77.68 m (254 ft 10 1⁄4 in) | 29 March 2014 | Chengdu | ||
7 | 77.33 m (253 ft 8 1⁄4 in) | 28 September 2014 | Incheon | ||
8 | 77.32 m (253 ft 8 in) | 29 June 2008 | Minsk | ||
9 | 77.26 m (253 ft 5 1⁄2 in) | 12 June 2006 | Tula | ||
10 | 77.13 m (253 ft 1⁄2 in) | 30 June 2013 | Zhukovskiy | ||
11 | 76.90 m (252 ft 3 1⁄2 in) | 16 May 2009 | Trnava | ||
12 | 76.85 m (252 ft 1 1⁄2 in) | 26 August 2017 | Taipei City | [7] | |
13 | 76.83 m (252 ft 3⁄4 in) | 11 May 2007 | Doha | ||
14 | 76.75 m (251 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | 2 June 2019 | Rathdrum | [8] | |
15 | 76.72 m (251 ft 8 1⁄4 in) | 23 June 2012 | Zhukovsky | ||
16 | 76.66 m (251 ft 6 in) | 23 June 2006 | Minsk | ||
17 | 76.63 m (251 ft 4 3⁄4 in) | 23 June 2006 | Zhukovsky | ||
18 | 76.62 m (251 ft 4 1⁄2 in) | 9 September 2008 | Zagreb | ||
19 | 76.56 m (251 ft 2 in) | 12 June 2012 | Minsk | ||
20 | 76.35 m (250 ft 5 3⁄4 in) | 28 September 2019 | Doha | [9] | |
21 | 76.33 m (250 ft 5 in) | 29 June 2008 | Minsk | ||
22 | 76.26 m (250 ft 2 1⁄4 in) | 27 April 2018 | Brest | ||
23 | 76.21 m (250 ft 1⁄4 in) | 26 May 2007 | Sochi | ||
24 | 76.17 m (249 ft 10 3⁄4 in) | 24 July 2013 | Moscow | ||
25 | 76.07 m (249 ft 6 3⁄4 in) | 29 August 1999 | Rüdlingen |
Notes
Below is a list of all other throws equal or superior to 78.00 m:
- Anita Włodarczyk also threw 82.87 (2017), 82.29 (2016), 81.77 (2016), 81.74 (2016), 81.63 (2017), 81.27 (2016), 81.08 (2015), 80.85 (2015), 80.79 (2017), 80.73 (2017), 80.69 (2017), 80.42 (2017), 80.40 (2016), 80.31 (2016), 80.26 (2016), 79.80 (2017), 79.73 (2017), 79.72 (2017), 79.68 (2016 & 2017), 79.67 (2016), 79.63 (2017), 79.62 (2016), 79.61 (2016), 79.59 (2018), 79.58 (2016), 79.48 (2016), 79.45 (2016), 79.39 (2016), 79.27 (2017), 79.23 (2017), 79.07 (2017), 79.06 (2017), 78.94 (2018), 78.76 (2014), 78.74 (2018), 78.69 (2016), 78.59 (2017), 78.55 (2018), 78.54 (2016), 78.52 (2017), 78.46 (2013), 78.35 (2017), 78.30 (2010), 78.28 (2015), 78.24 (2015), 78.22 (2013), 78.17 (2014), 78.16 (2015), 78.14 (2016), 78.10 (2016) and 78.00 (2017).
- Betty Heidler also threw 78.07 (2012) and 78.00 (2014).
- DeAnna Price also threw 78.12 (2018).
Non-legal marks
The following athletes had their performances (over 77.00 m) annulled due to doping offences:
- Tatyana Lysenko (Russia) 78.80 (2013) and 78.15 (2013).
- Aksana Miankova (Belarus) 78.69 and 78.19 (both 2012).
- Gulfiya Agafonova (Russia) 77.36 (2007).
Olympic medalists
Men
Women
World Championships medalists
Men
Women
Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1999 Seville |
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2001 Edmonton |
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2003 Saint-Denis |
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2005 Helsinki |
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2007 Osaka |
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2009 Berlin |
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2011 Daegu |
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2013 Moscow |
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2015 Beijing |
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2017 London |
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2019 Doha |
Season's bests
Men
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Women
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See also
Notes and references
- "Hammer Throw - Introduction". IAAF. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- Phil Minshull (9 August 2015). "Fajdek throws 83.93m in Szczecin". IAAF. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- "All-time women's best hammer throw". IAAF. 7 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- "Wlodarczyk extends hammer world record in Warsaw". IAAF. 28 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- Roy Jordan (28 July 2019). "Kendricks tops 6.06m in Des Moines". IAAF. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- Jon Mulkeen (8 June 2018). "Berry and Nowicki topple hammer favourites in Chorzow". IAAF. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- "Women's Hammer Final Results" (PDF). 2017.taipei. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- Erik Boal (2 June 2019). "Brooke Andersen Nails Down World Lead in Hammer Throw at Iron Wood Classic". runnerspace.com. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
- "Hammer Throw Results" (PDF). IAAF. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- 2004 Olympic Hammer Throw Medalists. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
- Engeler, Elaine (10 June 2010). "CAS Reinstates Medals for Hammer Throwers". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 15 June 2010.