Discus Throwing
Rules
Athletes perform a throw from a circle with a diameter of 219-221 cm. The throw distance is measured as the distance from the outer circumference of this circle to the point of impact of the projectile. The weight of the disc in men’s competitions is 2 kg, and in women’s competitions — 1 kg (Juniors — 1.5 kg, Youth — 1.75 kg). In official IAAF 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 discus is thrown from a grid-fenced sector with a permitted horizontal angle of departure of 350. It is forbidden for an athlete to leave the sector until the disc lands. When throwing, the disc may hit the sector fence, if other rules are not violated
History
It has been an Olympic athletics discipline for men since 1896 and for women since 1928. It is part of the athletics all-around competitions. Discus throwing is a very ancient sport. In the 5th century BC, the sculptor Myron made a sculpture of a discobolus (Diskobolos), which is now world famous. As the research of historians and archaeological excavations show, discus throwing was popular in Ancient Greece and these competitions took place at the ancient Olympic Games. The shells were made of stone and bronze, weighing from 1.25 to 5.70 kg, with a diameter of 16.5 to 34 cm.
Interesting facts
Discus throwing is one of the few sports where both the world and Olympic records belonging to women are further than those belonging to men, and at unofficial competitions (therefore, the result is not counted as a record) on September 6, 1988, Martina Gelman sent a projectile to 78.14 (!) m.
Records
In open stadiums.
Men: Jurgen Schult 74.08 m Neubrandenburg, Germany 1986.
Women: Gabriela Reinsch 76.80 m Neubrandenburg, Germany 1988.
Olympic records.
Men: Virgilius Alekna 69.89 m Athens, Greece 2004.
Women: Martina Hellman 72.30 m Seoul, Republic of Korea 1988
