Template:Short description Template:Infobox athletics event The shot put is a track-and-field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the shot—as far as possible. For men, the sport has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival (1896), and women's competition began in 1948. The shot put is part of the most common combined events, the decathlon, the women's and men's heptathlon and the women's pentathlon.
HistoryEdit
Homer mentions competitions of rock throwing by soldiers during the siege of Troy but there is no record of any weights being thrown in Greek competitions. The first evidence for stone- or weight-throwing events were in the Scottish Highlands, and date back to approximately the first century.<ref name="White2009">Template:Cite book</ref> In the 16th century King Henry VIII was noted for his prowess in court competitions of weight and hammer throwing.<ref name="iaafhammer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The first events resembling the modern shot put likely occurred in the Middle Ages when soldiers held competitions in which they hurled cannonballs. Shot put competitions were first recorded in early 19th century Scotland, and were a part of the British Amateur Championships beginning in 1866.<ref>Shot Put – Introduction. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.</ref>
Competitors take their throw from inside a marked circle Template:Convert in diameter, with a "toe board" or "stop board" Template:Convert high at the front of the circle. The distance thrown is measured from the inside of the circumference of the circle to the nearest mark made on the ground by the falling shot, with distances rounded down to the nearest centimetre under IAAF and WMA rules.
Legal throwsEdit
The following rules (indoor and outdoor) must be adhered to for a legal throw:
- Upon calling the athlete's name, the athlete may choose any part of the throwing circle to enter inside. They have one minute to commence the throwing motion; otherwise it counts as a forfeit for the current round.
- The athlete may not wear gloves; IAAF rules permit the taping of individual fingers.
- The athlete must rest the shot close to the neck, and keep it tight to the neck throughout the motion.
- The shot must be released above the height of the shoulder, using only one hand.
- The athlete may touch the inside surface of the circle or toe board, but must not touch the top or outside of the circle or toe board, or the ground beyond the circle. Limbs may, however, extend over the lines of the circle in the air.
- The shot must land in the throwing sector, which is a circular sector of 34.92° centered on the throwing circle. The throwing sector has been narrowed multiple times over the years to improve safety, most recently in 2004 from 40°. The current throwing sector angle (34.92°) was chosen because it provides a sector whose bounds are easy to measure and lay out on a field (10 metres out from the center of the ring, 6 metres across).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- The athlete must leave the throwing circle from the back half.
Foul throws occur when an athlete:
- Does not pause within the circle before beginning the putting motion.
- Does not complete the putting movement initiated within thirty seconds of having their name called.
- Allows the shot to drop below their shoulder or outside the vertical plane of their shoulder during the put.
At any time if the shot loses contact with the neck then it is technically an illegal put.
- During the putting motion, touches with any part of the body (including shoes):
- the top or ends of the toe board
- the top of the iron ring
- anywhere outside the circle.
- Puts a shot which either falls outside the throwing sector or touches a sector line on the initial impact.
- Leaves the circle before the shot has landed.
- Does not leave from the rear half of the circle.
Regulation misconceptionsEdit
The following are either obsolete or non-existent, but commonly believed rules for professional competition:Template:Citation needed
- The athlete must enter the circle from the back (no rule books contain such a clause).
- The athlete entering the circle, then exiting and re-entering it before starting the throw results in a foul (all rule books allow athletes to leave a circle before starting a throw, but this still counts within the 30 second time limit; the allowable method of exiting the circle varies by rule book).
- Loose clothing, shoelaces, or long hair touching outside the circle during a throw, or an athlete bringing a towel into the circle and then throwing it out before the put, results in a foul.
CompetitionEdit
Template:More citations needed section
Shot put competitions have been held at the modern Summer Olympic Games since their inception in 1896, and it is also included as an event in the World Athletics Championships.
Each of these competitions in the modern era have a set number of rounds of throws. Typically there are three qualification rounds to determine qualification for the final. There are then three preliminary rounds in the final with the top eight competitors receiving a further three throws. Each competitor in the final is credited with their longest throw, regardless of whether it was achieved in the preliminary or final three rounds. The competitor with the longest legal put is declared the winner.
WeightEdit
In open competitions the men's shot weighs Template:Convert, and the women's shot weighs Template:Convert. Junior, school, and masters competitions often use different weights of shots, typically below the weights of those used in open competitions; the individual rules for each competition should be consulted in order to determine the correct weights to be used.
Putting stylesEdit
Two putting styles are in current general use by shot put competitors: the glide and the spin. With all putting styles, the goal is to release the shot with maximum forward velocity at an angle of slightly less than forty-five degrees.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
GlideEdit
The origin of this technique dates to 1951, when Parry O'Brien from the United States invented a technique that involved the putter facing backwards, rotating 180 degrees across the circle, and then tossing the shot. Unlike spin, this technique is a linear movement.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
With this technique, a right-hand thrower would begin facing the rear of the circle. They would typically adopt a specific type of crouch, involving their bent right leg, in order to begin the throw from a more beneficial posture whilst also isometrically preloading their muscles. The positioning of their bodyweight over their bent leg, which pushes upwards with equal force, generates a preparatory isometric press. The force generated by this press will be channelled into the subsequent throw making it more powerful. To initiate the throw they kick to the front with the left leg, while pushing off forcefully with the right. As the thrower crosses the circle, the hips twist toward the front, the left arm is swung out then pulled back tight, followed by the shoulders, and they then strike in a putting motion with their right arm. The key is to move quickly across the circle with as little air under the feet as possible, hence the name 'glide'.
SpinEdit
This is also known as the rotational technique.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was first practiced in Europe in the 1950s but did not receive much attention until the 1970s.<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1972, Aleksandr Baryshnikov set his first USSR record using a new putting style, the spin ("круговой мах" in Russian), invented by his coach Viktor Alexeyev.<ref name=Barysh1>Aleksandr Baryshnikov biography on sportsdaily.ru (in Russian) Template:Webarchive reference tested at 11 May 2009</ref><ref name=Barysh2>Aleksandr Baryshnikov, Athlete from Russia (in Russian) Template:Webarchive reference tested at 11 May 2009</ref> The spin involves rotating like a discus thrower and using rotational momentum for power. In 1976 Baryshnikov went on to set a world record of Template:Convert with his spin style, and was the first shot putter to cross the 22-meter mark.<ref name=ruderman1>Григорий РУДЕРМАН (Израиль), заслуженный тренер России «Метания в хх веке : тенденции развития.» Template:Webarchive reference tested at 11 May 2009</ref>
With this technique, a right-hand thrower faces the rear, and begins to spin on the ball of the left foot. The thrower comes around and faces the front of the circle and drives the right foot into the center of the circle. Finally, the thrower reaches for the front of the circle with the left foot, twisting the hips and shoulders like in the glide, and puts the shot.
When the athlete executes the spin, the upper body is twisted hard to the right, so the imaginary lines created by the shoulders and hips are no longer parallel. This action builds up torque, and stretches the muscles, creating an involuntary elasticity in the muscles, providing extra power and momentum. When the athlete prepares to release, the left foot is firmly planted, causing the momentum and energy generated to be conserved, pushing the shot in an upward and outward direction.
Another purpose of the spin is to build up a high rotational speed, by swinging the right leg initially, then to bring all the limbs in tightly, similar to a figure skater bringing in their arms while spinning to increase their speed. Once this fast speed is achieved the shot is released, transferring the energy into the shot put.
Until 2016, a woman had never made an Olympic final (top 8) using the spin technique. The first woman to enter a final and win a medal at the Olympics was Anita Márton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
Ryan Crouser, the current men's world record holder, added an additional move, the "Crouser Slide", to his spin technique. He used this technique to set the world record at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CartwheelEdit
A vertical spinning technique where the athlete does a cartwheel on one hand before releasing the shot. It is currently banned in major competitions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UsageEdit
Currently, most top male shot putters use the spin. However the glide remains popular since the technique leads to greater consistency compared to the rotational technique. Almost all throwers start by using the glide. Tomasz Majewski notes that although most athletes use the spin,<ref>Playboy Poland 8/2012, page 44,45</ref> he and some other top shot putters achieved success using this classic method (for example he became the first to defend the Olympic title in 56 years).
The world record and the next six best male results (23.37, 23.30, 23.15, and 23.12 by Ryan Crouser, 23.23 by Joe Kovacs, and 23.12 and 23.10 by Randy Barnes) were completed with the spin technique, while the eighth-best all-time put of Template:T&Fcalc by Ulf Timmermann was completed with the glide technique.
The decision to glide or spin may need to be decided on an individual basis, determined by the thrower's size and power. Short throwers may benefit from the spin and taller throwers may benefit from the glide, but many throwers do not follow this guideline.
Types of shotEdit
{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= {{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} }} The shot is made of different kinds of materials depending on its intended use. Materials used include sand, iron, cast iron, solid steel, stainless steel, brass, and synthetic materials like polyvinyl. Some metals are more dense than others, making the size of the shot vary. For example, different materials are used to make indoor and outdoor shot – because damage to surroundings must be taken into account – so the latter are smaller. There are various size and weight standards for the implement that depend on the age and gender of the competitors as well as the national customs of the governing body.
World recordsEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
The current world record holders are:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Type | Athlete | Mark | Date | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | ||||
| Outdoor | Ryan Crouser | Template:T&Fcalc | 27 May 2023 | Los Angeles, USA |
| Indoor | Ryan Crouser | Template:T&Fcalc | 24 January 2021 | Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA |
| Women | ||||
| Outdoor | Natalya Lisovskaya | Template:T&Fcalc | 7 June 1987 | Moscow, USSR |
| Indoor | Helena Fibingerová | Template:T&Fcalc | 19 February 1977 | Jablonec, CZE |
Continental recordsEdit
The current records held on each continent are:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
All-time top 25Edit
| Outdoor tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 shot put marks and the top 25 athletes: |
| - denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 shot put marks |
| - denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 shot put marks, by repeat athletes |
| - denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 shot put marks |
Men (outdoor)Edit
- Correct as of September 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Mark | Technique | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Template:Refh | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Ryan Crouser | Template:USA | 27 May 2023 | Los Angeles | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
| 2 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #2 | 19 August 2023 | Budapest | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 3 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #3 | 18 June 2021 | Eugene | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 4 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #4 | 5 August 2021 | Tokyo | ||||||
| 2 | 5 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Joe Kovacs | Template:USA | 7 September 2022 | Zürich | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| 6 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #5 | 21 August 2021 | Eugene | ||||||
| 7 | Template:T&Fcalc | Kovacs #2 | 25 May 2024 | Eugene | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 3 | 8 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Randy Barnes | Template:USA | 20 May 1990 | Westwood | |||
| 8 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #6 | 24 June 2022 | Eugene | <ref name="Karen Rosen">Template:Cite news</ref> | |||||
| 10 | Template:T&Fcalc | Barnes #2 | 26 May 1990 | San Jose | ||||||
| 11 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #7 | 23 July 2023 | London | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 4 | 12 | Template:T&Fcalc | glide | Ulf Timmermann | Template:GDR | 22 May 1988 | Chania | |||
| 13 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #8 | 28 May 2022 | Eugene | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |||||
| 14 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #9 | 22 May 2021 | Tucson | ||||||
| 5 | 15 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Leonardo Fabbri | {{#invoke:flag | Italy}} | 14 September 2024 | Brussels | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
| 16 | Template:T&Fcalc | Fabbri #2 | 15 May 2024 | Savona | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 17 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #10 | 17 July 2022 | Eugene | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| 18 | Template:T&Fcalc | Kovacs #3 | 17 September 2023 | Eugene | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| Crouser #11 | 7 September 2024 | Zagreb | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||||
| Kovacs #4 | 18 May 2024 | Los Angeles | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||||
| 21 | Template:T&Fcalc | Crouser #12 | 18 June 2021 | Eugene | ||||||
| 6 | 22 | Template:T&Fcalc | glide | Alessandro Andrei | {{#invoke:flag | Italy}} | 12 August 1987 | Viareggio | ||
| 22 | Template:T&Fcalc | Kovacs #5 | 5 October 2019 | Doha | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||||
| Crouser #13 | 18 July 2020 | Marietta | ||||||||
| Crouser #14 | 17 September 2023 | Eugene | <ref name=":1" /> | |||||||
| Fabbri #3 | 23 May 2024 | Asti | ||||||||
| 7 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Tom Walsh | Template:NZL | 5 October 2019 | Doha | <ref name="auto" /> | |||
| 8 | Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr | spin | Brian Oldfield | Template:USA | 10 May 1975 | El Paso | ||||
| 9 | Template:T&Fcalc | glide | Werner Günthör | Template:SUI | 23 August 1988 | Bern | ||||
| 10 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Kevin Toth | Template:USA | 19 April 2003 | Lawrence | ||||
| 11 | Template:T&Fcalc | glide | Udo Beyer | Template:GDR | 20 August 1986 | Berlin | ||||
| 12 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Darlan Romani | Template:BRA | 30 June 2019 | Stanford | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |||
| 13 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Payton Otterdahl | Template:USA | 24 April 2024 | Des Moines | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | ||
| 14 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Christian Cantwell | Template:USA | 5 June 2004 | Gresham | ||||
| 15 | Template:T&Fcalc | glide | John Brenner | Template:USA | 26 April 1987 | Walnut | ||||
| 16 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Adam Nelson | Template:USA | 18 May 2002 | Portland | ||||
| 17 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Darrell Hill | Template:USA | 31 August 2017 | Brussels | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |||
| spin | Zane Weir | {{#invoke:flag | Italy}} | 3 September 2023 | Padua | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |||
| 19 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Reese Hoffa | Template:USA | 3 August 2007 | London | ||||
| 20 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Michał Haratyk | {{#invoke:flag | Poland}} | 28 July 2019 | Warsaw | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| 21 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Rajindra Campbell | Template:JAM | 7 September 2024 | Zagreb | <ref name="Zagreb2024"/> | |||
| 22 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Josh Awotunde | Template:USA | 17 July 2022 | Eugene | <ref name="World2022"/> | |||
| 23 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Ryan Whiting | Template:USA | 10 May 2013 | Doha | ||||
| 24 | Template:T&Fcalc | spin | Konrad Bukowiecki | {{#invoke:flag | Poland}} | 14 September 2019 | Chorzów | <ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | ||
| spin | Jordan Geist | Template:USA | 12 July 2024 | Dublin |
Notable throws and seriesEdit
- Ryan Crouser threw 23.12 in Eugene, Oregon on 24 June 2022. 23.01, 23.11 and 22.98 (ancillary throws) were recorded for his remaining attempts. This was the first time the 23-metre barrier has been broken more than once in a series.<ref name="Karen Rosen"/>
- Crouser also threw a series of 23.23, 23.31, 22.94, 23.56, 22.80 and 22.86 in Los Angeles, California on 27 May 2023 to break again the 23-metre mark three times in a series.<ref name="worldathletics.org"/>
Women (outdoor)Edit
- Correct as of April 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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Men (indoor)Edit
- Correct as of February 2024.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
NotesEdit
Below is a list of all other throws equal or superior to 22.42 m:
- Ryan Crouser also threw 22.80 (2024), 22.77 (2024), 22.70 (2021), 22.66 (2021), 22.65 (2021), 22.60 (2020), 22.58 (2020, 2023), 22.48 (2021), 22.43 (2021) and 22.42 (2023).
- Randy Barnes also threw 22.66 (1989).
- Ulf Timmermann also threw 22.55 (1989).
Ryan Crouser threw 23.38 Template:AthAbbr, a possible world record, in Pocatello, Idaho on 18 February 2023. But this result was unratifiable because the throwing circle was too wide and raised above ground level.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Women (indoor)Edit
- Correct as of March 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AnnulledEdit
The following athletes had their performance (inside 21.50 m) annulled due to doping offences:
- Nadzeya Ostapchuk 21.70 (2010)
Olympic medalistsEdit
MenEdit
Template:Olympic medalists in men's shot put
WomenEdit
Template:Olympic medalists in women's shot put
World Championship medalistsEdit
MenEdit
Template:World Championships in Athletics medalists in men's shot put
WomenEdit
Template:World Championships in Athletics medalists in women's shot put
World Indoor Championships medalistsEdit
MenEdit
WomenEdit
- Template:Note label Known as the World Indoor Games