Discus throw
The discus throw (pronunciation) is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc — called a discus — in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus. Although not part of the modern pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient pentathlon, which can be dated at least back to 708 BC.[1]
The discus throw is a routine part of most modern track and field meets at all levels and is a sport which is particularly iconic of the Olympic Games. The men's competition has been a part of the modern Summer Olympic Games since the first Olympiad in 1896. Images of discus throwers figured prominently in advertising for early modern Games, such as fundraising stamps for the 1896 games[2] and the main posters for the 1920 and 1948 Summer Olympics.[3]
The women's competition was added to the Olympic program in the 1928 games, although they had been competing at some national and regional levels previously.
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Description
The discus, the object to be thrown, is a heavy lenticular disc with a weight of 2 kilograms (4 lb 7 oz) and diameter of 220 mm (8.66 inches) for the men's event, and a weight of 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) and diameter of 181 mm (7.17 inches) for the women's event. In U.S. high school track and field, boys typically throw a discus weighing 1.616 kg (3 lb 9 oz) and the girls throw the 1 kg (2.2 lb) women's discus. The discus can be thrown starting at age 11 (midget division). Most children throw the 1 kg discus. The discus usually has sides made of rubber, plastic, wood, or metal with a metal rim and a metal core to attain the weight. A discus with more weight in the rim produces greater angular momentum for any given spin rate, and thus more stability, although it is more difficult to throw. A practice discus made of solid rubber is often used in High School; it is cheaper, more durable, and easier to learn to throw (due to its more equal distribution of weight, as opposed to the heavy rim weight of the metal rim/core discus).
To make a throw, the competitor starts in a slightly recessed concrete-surfaced circle of 2.5 metres (8 feet 2½ inches) diameter. The thrower typically takes an initial stance facing away from the direction of the throw. He then spins counter-clockwise (for right-handers) around one and a half times through the circle to build momentum, then releases his throw. The discus must land within a 34.92-degree arc marked by lines on the landing zone, and the competitor must not exit the circle until the discus has landed, then must wait for the judge to give clearance to exit the ring from the rear half. The distance from the front edge of the circle to where the discus has landed is measured, and distances are rounded down to the nearest centimetre or half-inch. The competitor's best throw from the allocated number of throws, typically three to six, is recorded, and the competitor who legally throws the discus the farthest is declared the winner. Ties are broken by determining which thrower has the longer second-best throw.
The basic motion is a forehanded sidearm movement. The discus is spun off the index finger or the middle finger of the throwing hand. In flight the disc spins clockwise when viewed from above for a right-handed thrower, and counter-clockwise for a lefty. As well as achieving maximum momentum in the discus on throwing, the discus' distance is also determined by the trajectory the thrower imparts, as well as the aerodynamic behavior of the discus. Generally, throws into a moderate headwind achieve the maximum distance. Also, a faster-spinning discus imparts greater gyroscopic stability. The technique of discus throwing is quite difficult to master and needs lots of experience to get right, thus most top throwers are thirty years old or more.
Phases of the throw
There are six keys movements of the discus throw: wind up, move in rhythm, balance, right leg engine, orbit, and delivery. The wind up is one of the most important aspects of the throw because it sets the tone for the entire throw. The wind up is both mental and technical. It is mental because the wind up sets you up for the rest of the throw. The following are the technical aspects: flat right foot, on the ball of your left foot, keep your weight evenly distributed between your feet, and do not over do it (being overly active can result in the waste of energy). Although the wind up sets the tone for the entire throw, the rhythm of the throw is the most important aspect. It is necessary to move in rhythm through out the entire throw. The best throwers contain the same amount of time in each phase while completing a great throw. Focusing on rhythm can bring about the consistency to get in the right positions that many throwers lack. Executing a sound discus throw with solid technique requires perfect balance. This is due to the throw being a linear movement combined with a one and a half rotation and an implement at the end of one arm. Thus, a good discus thrower needs to maintain balance within the circle.
Top ten performers
Accurate as of July 2010.[4][5]
Men
| Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74.08 m (243 ft 0.5 in) |  Jürgen Schult (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | June 6, 1986 |
| 73.88 m (242 ft 4.7 in) |  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) |
Kaunas | August 3, 2000 |
| 73.38 m (240 ft 9 in) |  Gerd Kanter (EST) |
Helsingborg | September 4, 2006 |
| 71.86 m (235 ft 9.1 in) |  Yuriy Dumchev (URS) |
Moscow | May 29, 1983 |
| 71.70 m (235 ft 2.8 in) |  Róbert Fazekas (HUN) |
Szombathely | July 14, 2002 |
| 71.50 m (234 ft 7 in) |  Lars Riedel (GER) |
Wiesbaden | May 3, 1997 |
| 71.32 m (233 ft 11.9 in) |  Ben Plucknett (USA) |
Eugene | June 4, 1983 |
| 71.26 m (233 ft 9.5 in) | John Powell (USA) |
San Jose | June 9, 1984 |
| 71.26 m (233 ft 9.5 in) |  Rickard Bruch (SWE) |
Malmö | November 15, 1984 |
| 71.26 m (233 ft 9.5 in) |  Imrich Bugár (TCH) |
San José, CA | May 25, 1985 |
Women
| Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 76.80 m (251 ft 11.6 in) | Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | July 9, 1988 |
| 74.56 m (244 ft 7.4 in) | Zdenka Šilhavá (TCH) |
Nitra | August 26, 1984 |
| 74.56 m (244 ft 7.4 in) | Ilke Wyludda (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | July 23, 1989 |
| 74.08 m (243 ft 0.5 in) | Diana Sachse-Gansky (GDR) |
Karl-Marx-Stadt | June 20, 1987 |
| 73.84 m (242 ft 3.1 in) | .svg.png){kind=small} Daniela Costian (ROU) |
Bucharest | April 30, 1988 |
| 73.36 m (240 ft 8.2 in) | Irina Meszynski (GDR) |
Prague | August 17, 1984 |
| 73.28 m (240 ft 5 in) | Galina Savinkova (URS) |
Donetsk | September 8, 1984 |
| 73.23 m (240 ft 3.1 in) | .svg.png){kind=small} Tsvetanka Khristova (BUL) |
Kazanlak | April 19, 1987 |
| 73.10 m (239 ft 10 in) | Gisela Beyer (GDR) |
Berlin | July 20, 1984 |
| 72.92 m (239 ft 2.9 in) | Martina Hellmann (GDR) |
Potsdam | August 20, 1987 |
World record progress
Men
| Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47.58 m (156 ft 1.2 in) |  James Duncan (USA) |
New York | 1912-05-27 |
| 47.61 m (156 ft 2.4 in) |  Thomas Lieb (USA) |
Chicago | 1924-09-14 |
| 47.89 m (157 ft 1.4 in) | Glenn Hartranft (USA) |
San Francisco | 1925-05-02 |
| 48.20 m (158 ft 1.6 in) | Bud Houser (USA) |
Palo Alto, California | 1926-04-02 |
| 49.90 m (163 ft 8.6 in) | Eric Krenz (USA) |
Palo Alto, California | 1929-03-09 |
| 51.03 m (167 ft 5.1 in) | Eric Krenz (USA) |
Palo Alto, California | 1930-05-17 |
| 51.73 m (169 ft 8.6 in) | Paul Jessup (USA) |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1930-08-23 |
| 52.42 m (171 ft 11.8 in) | Harald Andersson (SWE) |
Oslo | 1934-08-25 |
| 53.10 m (174 ft 2.6 in) | .svg.png){kind=small} Willi Schröder (GER) |
Magdeburg, Germany | 1935-04-28 |
| 53.26 m (174 ft 8.9 in) | Archibald Harris (USA) |
Palo Alto, California | 1941-06-20 |
| 53.34 m (175 ft 0 in) |  Adolfo Consolini (ITA) |
Milan | 1941-10-26 |
| 54.23 m (177 ft 11 in) | Adolfo Consolini (ITA) |
Milan | 1946-04-14 |
| 54.93 m (180 ft 2.6 in) | Robert Fitch (USA) |
Minneapolis, Minnesota | 1946-06-08 |
| 55.33 m (181 ft 6.3 in) | Adolfo Consolini (ITA) |
Milan | 1948-10-10 |
| 56.46 m (185 ft 2.8 in) | Fortune Gordien (USA) |
Lisbon | 1949-07-09 |
| 56.97 m (186 ft 10.9 in) | Fortune Gordien (USA) |
Hämeenlinna, Finland | 1949-08-14 |
| 57.93 m (190 ft 0.7 in) | Sim Iness (USA) |
Lincoln, Nebraska | 1953-06-20 |
| 58.10 m (190 ft 7.4 in) | Fortune Gordien (USA) |
Pasadena, California | 1953-07-11 |
| 59.28 m (194 ft 5.9 in) | Fortune Gordien (USA) |
Pasadena, California | 1953-08-22 |
| 59.91 m (196 ft 6.7 in) |  Edmund Piątkowski (POL) |
Warsaw | 1959-06-14 |
| 59.91 m (196 ft 6.7 in) | Rink Babka (USA) |
Walnut, California | 1960-08-12 |
| 60.56 m (198 ft 8.3 in) | Jay Silvester (USA) |
Frankfurt | 1961-08-11 |
| 60.72 m (199 ft 2.6 in) | Jay Silvester (USA) |
Brussels | 1961-08-20 |
| 61.10 m (200 ft 5.5 in) | Al Oerter (USA) |
Los Angeles | 1962-05-18 |
| 61.64 m (202 ft 2.8 in) | Vladimir Trusenyev (URS) |
Leningrad, USSR | 1962-06-04 |
| 62.45 m (204 ft 10.7 in) | Al Oerter (USA) |
Chicago | 1962-07-01 |
| 62.62 m (205 ft 5.4 in) | Al Oerter (USA) |
Walnut, California | 1963-04-27 |
| 62.94 m (206 ft 6 in) | Al Oerter (USA) |
Walnut, California | 1964-04-25 |
| 64.55 m (211 ft 9.3 in) | Ludvík Daněk (TCH) |
Turnov, Czechoslovakia | 1964-08-02 |
| 65.22 m (213 ft 11.7 in) | Ludvík Daněk (TCH) |
Sokolov, Czechoslovakia | 1965-10-12 |
| 66.54 m (218 ft 3.7 in) | Jay Silvester (USA) |
Modesto, California | 1968-05-25 |
| 68.40 m (224 ft 4.9 in) | Jay Silvester (USA) |
Reno, Nevada | 1968-09-18 |
| 68.40 m (224 ft 4.9 in) | Ricky Bruch (SWE) |
Stockholm | 1972-07-05 |
| 68.48 m (224 ft 8.1 in) |  John van Reenen (RSA) |
Stellenbosch, South Africa | 1975-03-14 |
| 69.08 m (226 ft 7.7 in) | John Powell (USA) |
Long Beach, California | 1975-05-03 |
| 69.18 m (226 ft 11.6 in) | Mac Wilkins (USA) |
Walnut, California | 1976-04-24 |
| 69.80 m (229 ft 0 in) | Mac Wilkins (USA) |
San Jose, California | 1976-05-01 |
| 70.24 m (230 ft 5.4 in) | Mac Wilkins (USA) |
San Jose, California | 1976-05-01 |
| 70.86 m (232 ft 5.8 in) | Mac Wilkins (USA) |
San Jose, California | 1976-05-01 |
| 71.16 m (233 ft 5.6 in) | Wolfgang Schmidt (GDR) |
Berlin | 1978-08-09 |
| 71.86 m (235 ft 9.1 in) | Yuriy Dumchev (URS) |
Moscow | 1983-05-29 |
| 74.08 m (243 ft 0.5 in) | Jürgen Schult (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg, GDR | 1986-06-06 |
Women
| Mark | Athlete | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27.70 m (90 ft 10.6 in) |  Lucie Petit (FRA) |
Paris | 1924-07-14 |
| 28.325 m (92 ft 11.2 in) | Lucie Petit (FRA) |
Brussels | 1924-07-21 |
| 30.225 m (99 ft 2 in) | Lucienne Velu (FRA) |
Paris | 1924-09-14 |
| 31.15 m (102 ft 2.4 in) | Maria Vidlaková (TCH) |
Prague | 1925-10-11 |
| 34.15 m (112 ft 0.5 in) | Halina Konopacka (POL) |
Warsaw | 1926-05-23 |
| 38.34 m (125 ft 9.4 in) | .svg.png){kind=small} Milly Reuter (GER) |
Braunschweig | 1926-08-22 |
| 39.18 m (128 ft 6.5 in) | Halina Konopacka (POL) |
Warsaw | 1927-09-04 |
| 39.62 m (129 ft 11.8 in) | Halina Konopacka (POL) |
Amsterdam | 1928-07-31 |
| 40.345 m (132 ft 4.4 in) | Jadwiga Wajs (POL) |
Pabianice | 1932-05-15 |
| 40.84 m (133 ft 11.9 in) | Grete Heublein (GER) |
Hagen | 1932-06-19 |
| 42.43 m (139 ft 2.5 in) | Jadwiga Wajs (POL) |
Lodz | 1932-06-19 |
| 43.08 m (141 ft 4.1 in) | Jadwiga Wajs (POL) |
Królewska Huta | 1933-07-15 |
| 43.795 m (143 ft 8.2 in) | Jadwiga Wajs (POL) |
London | 1934-08-11 |
| 44.34 m (145 ft 5.7 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Ulm | 1935-06-02 |
| 44.51 m (146 ft 0.4 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Nuremberg | 1935-06-04 |
| 44.76 m (146 ft 10.2 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Nuremberg | 1935-06-04 |
| 44.77 m (146 ft 10.6 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Munich | 1935-06-23 |
| 45.53 m (149 ft 4.5 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Munich | 1935-06-23 |
| 45.97 m (150 ft 9.8 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Jena | 1935-06-29 |
| 46.10 m (151 ft 3 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Jena | 1935-06-29 |
| 47.12 m (154 ft 7.1 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Dresden | 1935-08-25 |
| 47.99 m (157 ft 5.4 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Munich | 1936-06-14 |
| 48.31 m (158 ft 6 in) | Gisela Mauermayer (GER) |
Dresden | 1936-07-11 |
| 53.25 m (174 ft 8.5 in) | Nina Dumbadze (URS) |
Moscow | 1948-08-08 |
| 53.37 m (175 ft 1.2 in) | Nina Dumbadze (URS) |
Gori | 1951-05-27 |
| 53.61 m (175 ft 10.6 in) | Nina Romashkova (URS) |
Odessa | 1952-08-09 |
| 57.04 m (187 ft 1.7 in) | Nina Dumbadze (URS) |
Tblisi | 1952-10-18 |
| 57.15 m (187 ft 6 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
Rome | 1960-09-12 |
| 57.43 m (188 ft 5 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
Moscow | 1961-07-15 |
| 58.06 m (190 ft 5.8 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
Sofia | 1961-09-01 |
| 58.98 m (193 ft 6 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
London | 1961-09-20 |
| 59.29 m (194 ft 6.3 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
Moscow | 1963-05-19 |
| 59.70 m (195 ft 10.4 in) | Tamara Press (URS) |
Moscow | 1965-08-11 |
| 61.26 m (200 ft 11.8 in) | Liesel Westermann (FRG) |
São Paulo | 1967-11-05 |
| 61.64 m (202 ft 2.8 in) | Christine Spielberg (GDR) |
Regis-Breitingen | 1968-05-26 |
| 62.54 m (205 ft 2.2 in) | Liesel Westermann (FRG) |
Werdohl | 1968-08-24 |
| 62.70 m (205 ft 8.5 in) | Liesel Westermann (FRG) |
Berlin | 1969-06-18 |
| 63.96 m (209 ft 10.1 in) | Liesel Westermann (FRG) |
Hamburg | 1969-09-27 |
| 64.22 m (210 ft 8.3 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Helsinki | 1971-08-12 |
| 64.88 m (212 ft 10.3 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Munich | 1971-09-04 |
| 65.42 m (214 ft 7.6 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Moscow | 1972-05-31 |
| 65.48 m (214 ft 10 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Augsburg | 1972-06-24 |
| 66.76 m (219 ft 0.3 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Moscow | 1972-08-04 |
| 67.32 m (220 ft 10.4 in) | Argentina Menis (ROU) |
Bucharest | 1972-09-23 |
| 67.44 m (221 ft 3.1 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Riga | 1973-05-25 |
| 67.58 m (221 ft 8.6 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Moscow | 1973-07-11 |
| 69.48 m (227 ft 11.4 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Edinburgh | 1973-09-07 |
| 69.90 m (229 ft 4 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Prague | 1974-05-27 |
| 70.20 m (230 ft 3.8 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Zurich | 1975-08-20 |
| 70.50 m (231 ft 3.6 in) | Faina Melnyk (URS) |
Sochi | 1976-04-24 |
| 70.72 m (232 ft 0.3 in) | Evelin Jahl (GDR) |
Dresden | 1978-08-12 |
| 71.50 m (234 ft 7 in) | Evelin Jahl (GDR) |
Potsdam | 1980-05-10 |
| 71.80 m (235 ft 6.8 in) | Maria Petkova (BUL) |
Sofia | 1980-07-15 |
| 73.26 m (240 ft 4.3 in) | Galina Savinkova (URS) |
Lessilidse | 1983-05-23 |
| 73.36 m (240 ft 8.2 in) | Irina Meszynski (GDR) |
Prague | 1984-08-17 |
| 74.56 m (244 ft 7.4 in) | Zdenka Šilhavá (CSK) |
Nitra | 1984-08-26 |
| 76.80 m (251 ft 11.6 in) | Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | 1988-07-09 |
In culture
The discus throw is the subject of a number of well-known ancient Greek statues and Roman copies such as the Discobolus and Discophoros.
Discus throwers have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the recent samples is the €10 Greek Discus commemorative coin, minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004 Summer Olympics. On the obverse of the coin a modern athlete is seen in the foreground in a half-turned position, while in the background an ancient discus thrower has been captured in a lively bending motion, with the discus high above his head, creating a vivid representation of the sport.
See also
- National champions discus throw (men)
- National champions discus throw (women)
References
- ↑ Notations on the 1920 discus stamps at the Olympic Museum
- ↑ Discus Thrower stamps sold to help build facilities at the 1896 games
- ↑ Main 1948 poster at the Olympics Museum
- ↑ IAAF All-time top Discus throws - Men. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
- ↑ IAAF All-time top Discus throws - Women. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
External links
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