Shot put

Main page: Track and field athletics

Shot put is an athletics sport where people try to "put" a heavy weighted ball as far as they can. They are not allowed to throw it, but instead they push the ball out into the air. They "put" the ball by holding it at their neck and pushing it through the air. The shot put has been part of the Olympics since 1896.

An athlete throwing a shot put.

The weight of the ball can vary from 6 to 16 pounds (2.76 to 7.26 kg), depending on level age and gender of the participants. The main objective of the sport is to throw the ball as far as possible.

The shot put is similar to the javelin. It is an official Olympic event and can be seen at the Olympic games. The athlete cannot wear gloves when they are participating. If wearing gloves, the athlete would be disqualified.

It is an outdoor event and cannot be played inside. It is a track and field event.

History

Shot put was originally used in the Olympics to see who was the strongest athlete. Each athlete threw from a wooden square, and could only stand to throw. The shot put was a large stone ball. That is now a metal ball not softer than brass.

Throwing technique

There are two types of putting styles: glide and spin (rotation). The glide was invented in the US in the year 1876. The spin was also developed in the US. It was invented by Parry O'Brian and made famous by Brian Oldfield.

Rules

1. The athlete must only use one hand and it must not drop below the shoulder or it could cause damage.
2. The athlete can be disqualified for leaving the circle before the shot hits the ground, or leaving the sector lines.
3. The athlete must not put a foot past the toe board, or it is a disqualification.
4. The athlete must not take longer than 60.00 seconds to take a shot; it is compulsory to put the shot in the given time.

Under hand toss

1. Stand facing landing area.
2. Hold shot in front of body with both hands.
3. Bend knees and throw shot up and out, away from body, using an underhand toss.

Chest pass

1. Stand facing landing area.
2. Hold shot with both hands with fingers behind shot.
3. Push shot out like a basketball chest pass.

Record holders

• Cameron George, 23.12m United Kingdom 2013
• Natalya Lisovskaya, 22.63m RUS 1987
• Mark Robinson, 24.60m USA 2009

Shot Put Media

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  Czechoslovak shot putter Jiří Skobla showing the correct technique for keeping the shot near the neck

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  Shot put area.

• Demonstration of the spin technique in shot put