Shot put
Rules
Athletes perform a throw in a 35° sector, the top of which begins in the center of a circle with a diameter of 2,135 meters. The throw distance is measured as the distance from the outer circumference of this circle to the point of impact of the projectile. The core weight in men’s competitions is 7,257 kg (= 16 pounds), and in women’s competitions — 4 kg. The core should be smooth enough to meet the surface roughness class No. 7. In official competitions, participants complete six attempts. If there are more than eight participants, then after the first 3 attempts, the top eight are selected, and in the next three attempts they play the best for the maximum result in six attempts. The athlete takes a position in the circle before starting the attempt, the core must touch or be fixed at the neck or chin, and the hand must not fall below this position during the push. The core should not be diverted beyond the shoulder line. It is allowed to push the core with one hand, it is forbidden to use any gloves. Bandaging of the palm or fingers is also prohibited. If an athlete has a wound bandaged, he must show his hand to the judge, and he will decide on the athlete’s admission to the competition. A typical mistake is to exit the circle or simply touch the upper edge of the rim of the circle when performing a push before the core touches the ground. Sometimes, when performing an unsuccessful attempt, athletes purposely leave the circle so that their attempt is not measured
History
The discipline has been included in the Olympic Games program since 1896 for men, and since 1948 for women. It is part of the athletics all-around competitions. As a separate discipline, it began to be cultivated in England from the middle of the XIX century, when the first competitions in the shot put weighing 16 pounds (7,257 kg) from a circle with a diameter of 7 feet (2,134 m) began to be held. The first world record dates back to 1866 — 10.62 m.
Interesting facts
Interestingly, until 1912, the champion for the best attempt at pushing with both hands was identified, and even the amount of pushing with both hands was determined — this was how the harmonious development of athletes was encouraged. The final of the shot put competition during the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) was held on the territory of the ancient stadium in Olympia.
Records
In open stadiums. Men: Randy Barnes 23.12 m Westwood, USA 1990. Women: Natalia Lisovskaya 22.63 m Moscow, USSR 1987
Indoors. Men: Randy Barnes 22.66 m in Los Angeles, USA 1989. Women: Helena Fibingerova 22.50 m Yablonets, Czechoslovakia 1977
Olympic records. Men: Ulf Timmermanns 22.47 m Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1988. Women: Ilona Slupianek 22.41 m Moscow, USSR 1980
