Shot put

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The shot put (pronounced ) is a track and field event involving "throwing"/"putting" (throwing in a pushing motion) a heavy spherical object--the shot--as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's competition began in 1948.

Video Shot put

History

Homer mentions competitions of rock throwing by soldiers during the Siege of Troy but there is no record of any dead 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. In the 16th century King Henry VIII was noted for his prowess in court competitions of weight and hammer throwing.

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.

Competitors take their throw from inside a marked circle 2.135 metres (7.00 ft) in diameter, with a stopboard about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) 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 in the ground by the falling shot, with distances rounded down to the nearest centimetre under IAAF and WMA rules.

Legal throws

The following rules (indoor and outdoor) are adhered to for a legal throw:

• Upon calling the athlete's name, the athlete may choose from any part of the throwing circle to enter inside. They have sixty seconds to commence the throwing motion otherwise they are banned from the game.
• 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 legal sector (34.92°) of the throwing area.
• The athlete must leave the throwing circle from the back.

Foul throws

Foul throws occur when an athlete:

• Does not pause within the circle before beginning the putting motion.
• Does not complete the putting movement within sixty seconds of having their name called.
• Allows the shot to drop below his shoulder or outside the vertical plane of his 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 misconceptions

The following are either obsolete or non-existent, but commonly believed rules within professional competition:

• The athlete must enter the circle from the back (none of the rule books contain such a clause).
• The athlete entering the circle, then exiting and re-entering it prior to starting the throw results in a foul (all the rule books allow an athlete to leave a circle prior to starting a throw, but this still counts within the one-minute 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 prior to the put results in a foul

Maps Shot put

Competition

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 competition has a set number of rounds of throws. Typically there are three preliminary rounds to determine qualification for the final, and then three more rounds in the final. Each competitor is credited with their longest throw, regardless of whether it was achieved in the preliminary or final rounds. The competitor with the longest legal put is declared the winner.

Weight

In open competitions the men's shot weighs 7.260 kilograms (16.01 lb), and the women's shot weighs 4 kilograms (8.8 lb). 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.

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Putting styles

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 approximately forty degrees.

Glide

The origin of this technique glide 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 it is a linear movement.

With this technique, a right-hand thrower would begin facing the rear of the circle, and then 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'.

Spin

Also known as rotational technique. It was first practiced in Europe in the 1950's but did not receive much attention until the 1970's. In 1972 Aleksandr Baryshnikov set his first USSR record using a new putting style, the spin ("???????? ???" in Russian), invented by his coach Viktor Alexeyev. 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 22.00 m (72.18 ft) with his spin style, and was the first shot putter to cross the 22-meter mark.

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 2009, a woman has never made an Olympic final (top 8) using spin, so consequentially there has never been an Olympic medalist for the women using the spin technique.

Usage

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, he and some other top shot putters achieved success using this classic method (for example he became first to defend the Olympic title in 56 years).

The world record by a male putter of 23.12 m (75 ft 10 in) by Randy Barnes was completed with the spin technique, while the second-best all-time put of 23.06 m (75 ft 7³/₄ in) 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.

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Types of shots

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.

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World records

The current world record holders are:

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Continental records

The current records held on each continent are:

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Top 25 performers

• i = indoor performance
• A = affected by altitude
• Correct as of February 2018.

Men

Notes

Below is a list of throws equal or superior to 22.43m:

• Randy Barnes also threw 23.10 m (1990).
• Ulf Timmermann also threw 22.62 m (1985), 22.61 m (1988), 22.60 m (1986), 22.56 m (1988), 22.55 m (i) (1989), 22.51 m (1986), 22.47 m (1986, 1988).
• Joe Kovacs also threw 22.56 m (2015).
• Ryan Crouser also threw 22.52 m (2016), 22.47 m (2017), 22.43 m (2017).
• Tom Walsh also threw 22.45 m (2018).
• Brian Oldfield also threw 22.45 m (A) (1976).
• Christian Cantwell also threw 22.45 m (2006).
• Werner Günthör also threw 22.47 m (1987), 22.43 m (1987).

Non-legal marks

• Rolf Österreich of the East Germany threw a best of 22.11 on 12 September 1976 in Zschopau, but this mark was not recognized by East German authorities.
• Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus threw 22.10 on 8 August 2011 in Minsk. This mark was annulled due to doping offense.
• Sergey Kasnauskas of Belarus threw 22.09 with an irregular implement on 23 August 1984 in Minsk.

Women

Notes

Below is a list of throws equal or superior to 21.49m:

• Natalya Lisovskaya also threw 22.14m i (1987), 21.60m (1988).
• Helena Fibingerová also threw 21.75m i (1977), 21.66m (1977), 21.58m i (1977), 21.47m i (1985), 21.46m i (1977).
• Ilona Slupianek also threw 21.59m i (1979), 21.52m i (1980), 21.49m i (1980).

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Olympic Medalists

Men

Women

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World Championship medalists

Men

Women

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World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

Women

• ^A Known as the World Indoor Games

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Season's bests

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See also

• Masters shot put
• Pundo
• Stone put

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Notes and references

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External links

• IAAF shot put homepage
• IAAF list of shot-put records in XML

Source of the article : Wikipedia