Editing Track and field (section)

===Throwing===
Track and field contains some of the foremost kinds of [[throwing sports]], and the four major disciplines are the only pure throwing events to feature at the [[Olympic Games]].<ref>[http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/sports/track_and_field_-_throws Track and Field – Throws] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150316071521/http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/sports/track_and_field_-_throws |date=16 March 2015 }}. [[Australian Institute of Sport]]. Retrieved on 16 March 2015.</ref>

====Shot put====
{{Main|Shot put}}
[[File:Remigius Machura senior CZ championships in athletics Kladno 2005.jpg|thumb|[[Remigius Machura]] preparing to throw within the circle in [[shot put]]]]
The genesis of the shot put can be traced to pre-historic competitions with rocks:<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/541863/shot-put Shot put] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206011856/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/541863/shot-put |date=6 February 2010 }}. ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'' (2010). Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> in the [[Middle Ages]] the [[stone put]] was known in Scotland and the [[steinstossen]] was recorded in Switzerland. In the 17th century, [[Round shot|cannonball]] throwing competitions within the English military provided a precursor to the modern sport.<ref name=IAAFSP>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9444.html Shot Put – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025121004/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9444.html |date=25 October 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> The term "shot" originates from the use of [[round shot]]-style ammunition for the sport.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/shotput/ss/illustrateshot.htm |title=An Illustrated History of Shot Put – The early days of shot put |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819022007/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/shotput/ss/illustrateshot.htm |archive-date=19 August 2016 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> The modern rules were first laid out in 1860 and required that competitors take legal throws within a square throwing area of {{convert|7|ft|m|spell=in}} on each side. This was amended to a circle area with a seven-foot diameter in 1906, and the weight of the shot was standardised to {{convert|16|lb|kg}}. Throwing technique was also refined over this period, with bent arm throws being banned as they were deemed too dangerous and the side-step and throw technique arising in the United States in 1876.<ref name=IAAFSP />

The shot put has been an Olympic sport for men since 1896 and a women's competition using a {{convert|4|kg|lb|abbr=on}} shot was added in 1948. Further throwing techniques have arisen since the post-war era: in the 1950s [[Parry O'Brien]] popularised the 180 degree turn and throw technique commonly known as the "glide", breaking the world record 17 times along the way, while [[Aleksandr Baryshnikov]] and [[Brian Oldfield]] introduced the "spin" or rotational technique in 1976.<ref name=IAAFSP /><ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/shotput/p/introshotput.htm |title=Introduction to Shot Put |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527132035/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/shotput/p/introshotput.htm |archive-date=27 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref>

====Discus throw====
{{Main|Discus throw}}
[[File:Zoltan Kovago o.jpg|thumb|[[Zoltán Kővágó]] preparing to spin and throw in [[discus throw]]]]
In the [[discus throw]], athletes compete to throw a heavy [[disc (mathematics)|disc]] the farthest. In standard competitions, athletes throw the disc from a set circular arc and take turns in a series of throw, with the singular best effort deciding the victor. As one of the events within the ancient pentathlon, the history of the discus throw dates back to 708 BC.<ref name=Miller61>Miller, Steven G. (2004). ''Ancient Greek Athletics''. Pg. 61. Yale University. {{ISBN|0-300-11529-6}}.</ref> In ancient times a heavy circular disc was thrown from a set standing position on a small [[pedestal]], and it was this style that was revived for the 1896 Olympics.<ref name=IAAFDT>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9437.html Discus Throw – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122203019/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9437.html |date=22 November 2011 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> This continued until the [[1906 Intercalated Games]] in Athens, which featured both the ancient style and the increasingly popular modern style of turning and throwing. By the 1912 Olympics, the ancient standing throw style had fallen into disuse and contests starting within a 2.5&nbsp;m squared throwing area became the standard.<ref>Murphy, Colm (1999). [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv7n1/JOHv7n1g.pdf The Greek Discus Event]. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808024524/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv7n1/JOHv7n1g.pdf |date=8 August 2010 }}. ''[[Journal of Olympic History]]'', Winter 1999 (pg. 3). Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> The discus implement was standardised to {{convert|2|kg|lb|abbr=on}} in weight and {{convert|22|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter in 1907.<ref name=IAAFDT /> The women's discus was among the first women's events on the Olympic programme, being introduced in 1928.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/discus/ss/illusdiscus_3.htm |title=An Illustrated History of Discus – Women join Olympics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528101507/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/discus/ss/illusdiscus_3.htm |archive-date=28 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> The first modern athlete to throw the discus while rotating the whole body was Czech athlete [[František Janda-Suk]], who invented the technique when studying the position of the famous statue of Discobolus and won the 1900 Olympic silver medal.

====Javelin throw====
{{Main|Javelin throw}}
[[File:Bregje crolla Europacup 2007.jpg|thumb|A [[javelin throw]] athlete]]
As an implement of war and hunting, the [[javelin throw]] began in prehistoric times.<ref name="trackandfield.about.com">{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin.htm |title=An Illustrated History of Javelin – The early days of Javelin throwing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508080031/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin.htm |archive-date=8 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> Along with the discus, the javelin was the second throwing event in the ancient Olympic pentathlon. Records from 708 BC show two javelin competition types co-existing: throwing at a target and throwing the javelin for distance. It was the latter type from which the modern event derives.<ref name=IAAFJT>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9427.html Javelin Throw – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606232418/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid%3D9427.html |date=6 June 2012 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> In ancient competitions, athletes would wrap an ''ankyle'' (thin leather strip) around the javelin that acted as a sling to facilitate extra distance.<ref name=Miller69>Miller, Steven G. (2004). ''Ancient Greek Athletics''. Pg. 69. Yale University. {{ISBN|0-300-11529-6}}.</ref> The javelin throw gained much popularity in [[Scandinavia]] in the late 19th century and athletes from the region are still among the most dominant throwers in men's competitions.<ref name=IAAFJT /> The modern event features a short run up on a track and then the thrower releases the javelin before the foul line. The runway measures at a minimum of 30m in length, and is covered with the same surface as the track.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Athletics throwing events |url=https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/athletics-throwing-events |access-date=5 February 2021 |website=DLGSC |archive-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213033719/https://www.dlgsc.wa.gov.au/sport-and-recreation/sports-dimensions-guide/athletics-throwing-events |url-status=live }}</ref>

The first Olympic men's javelin throw contest was held in 1908 and a women's competition was introduced in 1932.<ref name="trackandfield.about.com"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin_2.htm |title=An Illustrated History of Javelin – Women enter Olympic competition |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508102525/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin_2.htm |archive-date=8 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> The first javelins were made of various types of wood, but in the 1950s, former athlete [[Bud Held]] introduced a hollow javelin, then a metal javelin, both of which increased throwers performances.<ref name=IAAFJT /> Another former athlete, [[Miklós Németh (athlete)|Miklós Németh]] invented the rough-tailed javelin and throws reached in excess of 100&nbsp;m – edging towards the limits of stadia.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin_3.htm |title=An Illustrated History of Javelin – Changing configurations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090508025951/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/ss/illhistjavelin_3.htm |archive-date=8 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> The distances and the increasing number of horizontal landings led the IAAF to redesign the men's javelin to reduce distance and increase the implement's downward [[pitching moment]] to allow for easier measurement. Rough-tailed designs were banned in 1991 and all marks achieved with such javelins were removed from the record books. The women's javelin underwent a similar redesign in 1999.<ref name=IAAFJT /> The current javelin specifications are 2.6 to 2.7&nbsp;m in length and 800&nbsp;grams in weight for men, and 2.2 to 2.3&nbsp;m and 600&nbsp;g for women.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/p/Introjavelin.htm |title=Introduction to Javelin Throwing |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119041551/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/javelin/p/Introjavelin.htm |archive-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref>

====Hammer throw====
{{Main|Hammer throw}}
[[File:Yury Shayunou.JPG|thumb|[[Yury Shayunou]] spinning with the hammer within the circle in [[hammer throw]]]]
The earliest recorded precursors to the modern [[hammer throw]] stem from the [[Tailteann Games (ancient)|Tailteann Games]] of ancient Ireland, which featured events such as throwing either a weight attached to a rope, a large rock on a wooden handle, or even a [[chariot]] wheel on a wooden [[axle]].<ref name=AboutHT>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer.htm |title=An Illustrated History of the Hammer Throw – The early days of the hammer throw |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075436/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> Other ancient competitions included throwing a cast iron ball attached to a wooden handle – the root of the term "hammer throw" due to their resemblance to the tools.<ref name=IAAFHT>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9418.html Hammer Throw – Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122194630/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9418.html |date=22 November 2011 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 11 May 2010.</ref> In 16th century England, contests involving the throwing of actual [[blacksmith]]'s [[Sledgehammer]]s were recorded.<ref name=AboutHT /> The hammer implement was standardised in 1887 and the competitions began to resemble the modern event. The weight of the metal ball was set at {{convert|16|lb|kg}} while the attached wire had to measure between 1.175&nbsp;m and 1.215&nbsp;m.<ref name=IAAFHT />

The men's hammer throw became an Olympic event in 1900 but the women's event – using a {{convert|4|kg|lb|abbr=on}} weight – was not widely competed until much later, finally featuring on the women's Olympic programme in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_3.htm |title=An Illustrated History of the Hammer Throw – Women's hammer time |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075502/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_3.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=12 May 2010}}</ref> The distances thrown by male athletes became greater from the 1950s onwards as a result of improved equipment using the denser metals, a switch to concrete throwing areas, and more advanced training techniques.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_2.htm |title=An Illustrated History of the Hammer Throw – More Power |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075511/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_2.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=12 May 2010}}</ref> Professional hammer throwers were historically large, strong, sturdy athletes. However, qualities such as refined technique, speed and flexibility have become increasingly important in the modern era as the legal throwing area has been reduced from 90 to 34.92 degrees and throwing technique involves three to four controlled rotations.<ref name=IAAFHT /><ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9411.html Hammer Throw – Is it for me?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402074216/http://www.iaaf.org/community/athletics/trackfield/newsid=9411.html |date=2 April 2010 }}. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 12 May 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rosenbaum |first=Mike |url=http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_4.htm |title=An Illustrated History of the Hammer Throw – Where the hammer throw is now |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075517/http://trackandfield.about.com/od/hammerthrow/ss/illushammer_4.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 |url-status=usurped |website=About |access-date=12 May 2010}}</ref>