Discus throw

Athletics Discus throw
German 2012 Olympic champion Robert Harting.
World records
Men	Jürgen Schult (GDR) 74.08 m (243 ft 1⁄2 in) (1986)
Women	Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) 76.80 m (251 ft 11+1⁄2 in) (1988)
Olympic records
Men	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) 69.89 m (229 ft 3+1⁄2 in) (2004)
Women	Martina Hellmann (GDR) 72.30 m (237 ft 2+1⁄4 in) (1988)
World Championship records
Men	Kristjan Čeh (SLO) 71.13 m (233 ft 4+1⁄4 in) (2022)
Women	Martina Hellmann  (GDR) 71.62 m (234 ft 11+1⁄2 in) (1987)

The discus throw (pronunciation), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by the fifth-century-BC Myron statue Discobolus. Although not part of the current pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient Greek pentathlon, which can be dated back to at least 708 BC, and it is part of the modern decathlon.

History

Modern copy of the Diskophoros, attributed to Alkamenes

The sport of throwing the discus traces back to it being an event in the original Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. The discus as a sport was resurrected in Magdeburg, Germany, by gymnastics teacher Christian Georg Kohlrausch and his students in the 1870s. Organized men's competition was resumed in the late 19th century, and has been a part of the modern Summer Olympic Games since the first modern competition, the 1896 Summer Olympics. Images of discus throwers figured prominently in advertising for early modern Games, such as fundraising stamps for the 1896 Games, and the main posters for the 1920 and 1948 Summer Olympics. Today the sport of discus is a routine part of modern track-and-field meets at all levels, and retains a particularly iconic place in the Olympic Games.

The main poster for the 1920 Summer Olympics

The first modern athlete to throw the discus while rotating the whole body was František Janda-Suk from Bohemia (the present Czech Republic). Janda-Suk invented this technique when studying the position of the famous statue of Discobolus. After only one year of developing the technique, he earned a silver medal in the 1900 Olympics.

Women's competition began in the first decades of the 20th century. Following competition at national and regional levels, it was added to the Olympic program for the 1928 games.

Regulations

The event consists of throwing a disc, with the weight or size depending on the competitor. Men and women throw different sized discs, with varying sizes and weights depending on age. The weight of the discus is either governed by World Athletics for international or USA Track & Field for the United States.

In the United States, Henry Canine advocated for a lighter-weight discus in high school competition. His suggestion was adopted by the National High School Athletic Association in 1938.

Discus (2 kg), World Athletics certified for competitions

Side view

Longitudinal section (schematic)

The typical discus has sides made of plastic, wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber or metal with a metal rim and a metal core to attain the weight. The rim must be smooth, with no roughness or finger holds. A discus with more weight in the rim produces greater angular momentum for any given spin rate, and thus more stability, although it is more difficult to throw. However, a higher rim weight, if thrown correctly, can lead to a longer throw. In some competitions, a solid rubber discus is used (see in the United States).

To make a throw, the competitor starts in a circle of 2.5 m (8 ft 2+1⁄4 in) diameter, which is recessed in a concrete pad by 20 millimetres (0.79 in). The thrower typically takes an initial stance facing away from the direction of the throw. They then spin anticlockwise (for right-handers) 1+1⁄2 times while staying within the circle to build momentum before releasing the discus. The discus must land within a 34.92º circular sector that is centered on the throwing circle. The rules of competition for discus are virtually identical to those of shot put, except that the circle is larger, a stop board is not used and there are no form rules concerning how the discus is to be thrown.

The basic motion is a fore-handed sidearm movement. The discus is spun off the index finger or the middle finger of the throwing hand. In flight the disc spins clockwise when viewed from above for a right-handed thrower, and anticlockwise for a left-handed thrower. As well as achieving maximum momentum in the discus on throwing, the discus' distance is also determined by the trajectory the thrower imparts, as well as the aerodynamic behavior of the discus. Generally, throws into a moderate headwind achieve the maximum distance. Also, a faster-spinning discus imparts greater gyroscopic stability. The technique of discus throwing is quite difficult to master and needs much experience to perfect; thus most top throwers are 30 years old or more.

Discus-thrower, tondo of a kylix by the Kleomelos Painter, Louvre Museum

Modern copy of Myron's Discobolus in University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden, Denmark

Phases

The discus technique can be broken down into phases. The purpose is to transfer from the back to the front of the throwing circle while turning through one and a half circles. The speed of delivery is high, and speed is built up during the throw (slow to fast). Correct technique involves the buildup of torque so that maximum force can be applied to the discus on delivery.

Rutger Smith in phases of the discus throw

Initially, the thrower takes up their position in the throwing circle, distributing their body weight evenly over both feet, which are roughly shoulder width apart. They crouch in order to adopt a more efficient posture to start from whilst also isometrically preloading their muscles; this will allow them to start faster and achieve a more powerful throw. They then begin the wind-up, which sets the tone for the entire throw; the rhythm of the wind-up and throw is very important.

Focusing on rhythm can bring about the consistency to get in the right positions that many throwers lack. Executing a sound discus throw with solid technique requires perfect balance. This is due to the throw being a linear movement combined with a one and a half rotation and an implement at the end of one arm. Thus, a good discus thrower needs to maintain balance within the circle.

For a right handed thrower, the next stage is to move the weight over the left foot. From this position the right foot is raised, and the athlete 'runs' across the circle. There are various techniques for this stage where the leg swings out to a small or great extent, some athletes turn on their left heel (e.g. Ilke Wylluda) but turning on the ball of the foot is far more common.

The aim is to land in the 'power position', the right foot should be in the center and the heel should not touch the ground at any point. The left foot should land very quickly after the right. Weight should be mostly over the back foot with as much torque as possible in the body—so the right arm is high and far back. This is very hard to achieve.

The critical stage is the delivery of the discus, from this 'power position' the hips drive through hard, and will be facing the direction of the throw on delivery. Athletes employ various techniques to control the end-point and recover from the throw, such as fixing feet (to pretty much stop dead), or an active reverse spinning onto the left foot (e.g. Virgilijus Alekna).

Sports scientist Richard Ganslen researched the Aerodynamics of the Discus, reporting the discus will stall at an angle of 29°.

Culture

The discus throw has been the subject of a number of well-known ancient Greek statues and Roman copies such as the Discobolus and Discophoros. The discus throw also appears repeatedly in ancient Greek mythology, featured as a means of manslaughter in the cases of Hyacinth, Crocus, Phocus, and Acrisius, and as a named event in the funeral games of Patroclus.

Discus throwers have been selected as a main motif in numerous collectors' coins. One of the recent samples is the €10 Greek Discus commemorative coin, minted in 2003 to commemorate the 2004 Summer Olympics. On the obverse of the coin a modern athlete is seen in the foreground in a half-turned position, while in the background an ancient discus thrower has been captured in a lively bending motion, with the discus high above his head, creating a vivid representation of the sport.

All-time top 25

Men

• Correct as of April 2023.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Mark	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place	Ref.
1	1	74.08 m (243 ft 1⁄2 in)	Jürgen Schult	East Germany	06 JUN 1986	Neubrandenburg
2	2	73.88 m (242 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Virgilijus Alekna	Lithuania	03 AUG 2000	Kaunas
3	3	73.38 m (240 ft 8+3⁄4 in)	Gerd Kanter	Estonia	04 SEP 2006	Helsingborg
	4	72.02 m (236 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Kanter #2		03 MAY 2007	Salinas
	5	71.88 m (235 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	Kanter #3		08 MAY 2008	Salinas
4	6	71.86 m (235 ft 9 in)	Yuriy Dumchev	Soviet Union	29 MAY 1983	Moscow
			Daniel Ståhl	Sweden	29 JUN 2019	Bottnaryd
6	8	71.84 m (235 ft 8+1⁄4 in)	Piotr Małachowski	Poland	08 JUN 2013	Hengelo
7	9	71.70 m (235 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	Róbert Fazekas	Hungary	14 JUL 2002	Szombathely
	10	71.64 m (235 ft 1⁄4 in)	Kanter #4		25 JUN 2009	Kohila
	11	71.56 m (234 ft 9+1⁄4 in)	Alekna #2		25 JUL 2007	Kaunas
8	12	71.50 m (234 ft 6+3⁄4 in)	Lars Riedel	Germany	03 MAY 1997	Wiesbaden
	13	71.47 m (234 ft 5+3⁄4 in)	Ståhl #2		21 JUN 2022	Uppsala
	14	71.45 m (234 ft 4+3⁄4 in)	Kanter #5		29 APR 2010	Chula Vista
	15	71.40 m (234 ft 3 in)	Ståhl #3		10 JUL 2021	Bottnaryd
	16	71.37 m (234 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Ståhl #4		10 AUG 2020	Sollentuna
9	17	71.32 m (233 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	Ben Plucknett	United States	04 JUN 1983	Eugene
	18	71.29 m (233 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	Ståhl #5		29 JUN 2017	Sollentuna
10	19	71.27 m (233 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	Kristjan Čeh	Slovenia	21 MAY 2022	Birmingham
11	20	71.26 m (233 ft 9+1⁄2 in)	John Powell	United States	09 JUN 1984	San Jose
			Rickard Bruch	Sweden	15 NOV 1984	Malmö
			Imrich Bugár	Czechoslovakia	25 MAY 1985	San Jose
	23	71.25 m (233 ft 9 in)	Fazekas #2		21 SEP 2002	Madrid
			Alekna #3		20 MAY 2008	Turnov
	25	71.23 m (233 ft 8+1⁄4 in)	Čeh #2		08 AUG 2022	Székesfehérvár
14		71.18 m (233 ft 6+1⁄4 in)	Art Burns	United States	19 JUL 1983	San Jose
15		71.16 m (233 ft 5+1⁄2 in)	Wolfgang Schmidt	East Germany	09 AUG 1978	Berlin
16		71.14 m (233 ft 4+3⁄4 in)	Anthony Washington	United States	22 MAY 1996	Salinas
17		71.06 m (233 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Luis Delís	Cuba	21 MAY 1983	Havana
18		71.00 m (232 ft 11+1⁄4 in)	Mykolas Alekna	Lithuania	29 APR 2023	Berkeley
19		70.98 m (232 ft 10+1⁄4 in)	Mac Wilkins	United States	09 JUL 1980	Helsinki
20		70.82 m (232 ft 4 in)	Aleksander Tammert	Estonia	15 APR 2006	Denton
21		70.78 m (232 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Fedrick Dacres	Jamaica	16 JUN 2019	Rabat
22		70.66 m (231 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	Robert Harting	Germany	22 MAY 2012	Turnov
23		70.54 m (231 ft 5 in)	Dmitriy Shevchenko	Russia	07 MAY 2002	Krasnodar
24		70.38 m (230 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	Jay Silvester	United States	16 MAY 1971	Lancaster
25		70.32 m (230 ft 8+1⁄2 in)	Frantz Kruger	South Africa	26 MAY 2002	Salon-de-Provence

Notable series

At the 2019 Diamond League Meeting in Doha, Qatar, Daniel Ståhl became the first man to produce six throws beyond 69.50 in a single competition.

Annulled marks

• Ben Plucknett also threw a world record of 72.34 in Stockholm on 7 July 1981. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
• Kamy Keshmiri threw 70.84 in Salinas on 27 May 1992. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.

Non-legal marks

• Rickard Bruch also threw 72.18 at an exhibition meeting in Piteå on 23 July 1974.
• John Powell also threw 72.08 in Klagshamn on 11 September 1987, but the throw was made onto a sloping/downhill sector.

Women

• Correct as of May 2022.

Ath.#	Perf.#	Mark	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place	Ref.
1	1	76.80 m (251 ft 11+1⁄2 in)	Gabriele Reinsch	East Germany	09 JUL 1988	Neubrandenburg
2	2	74.56 m (244 ft 7+1⁄4 in)	Zdeňka Šilhavá	Czechoslovakia	26 AUG 1984	Nitra
			Ilke Wyludda	East Germany	23 JUL 1989	Neubrandenburg
	4	74.44 m (244 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Reinsch #2		13 SEP 1988	Berlin
	5	74.40 m (244 ft 1 in)	Wyludda #2		13 SEP 1988	Berlin
4	6	74.08 m (243 ft 1⁄2 in)	Diana Gansky	East Germany	20 JUN 1987	Karl-Marx-Stadt
	7	73.90 m (242 ft 5+1⁄4 in)	Gansky #2		27 JUN 1987	Prague
	8	73.42 m (240 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	Reinsch #3		12 JUN 1988	Karl-Marx-Stadt
5	9	73.36 m (240 ft 8 in)	Irina Meszynski	East Germany	17 AUG 1984	Prague
	10	73.32 m (240 ft 6+1⁄2 in)	Gansky #2		11 JUN 1987	Neubrandenburg
6	11	73.28 m (240 ft 5 in)	Galina Savinkova	Soviet Union	08 SEP 1984	Donetsk
	12	73.26 m (240 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Savinkova #2		22 MAY 1983	Leselidze
			Gansky #3		06 JUN 1986	Neubrandenburg
	14	73.24 m (240 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Gansky #4		29 MAY 1987	Leipzig
7	15	73.22 m (240 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Tsvetanka Khristova	Bulgaria	19 APR 1987	Kazanlak
	16	73.16 m (240 ft 1⁄4 in)	Wyludda #3		13 SEP 1988	Berlin
8	17	73.10 m (239 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	Gisela Beyer	East Germany	20 JUL 1984	Berlin
	18	73.04 m (239 ft 7+1⁄2 in)	Gansky #5		06 JUN 1987	Potsdam
			Wyludda #4		05 AUG 1989	Gateshead
	20	72.96 m (239 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Savinkova #3		23 JUN 1985	Erfurt
	21	72.94 m (239 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Gansky #6		09 JUL 1988	Neubrandenburg
9	22	72.92 m (239 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	Martina Hellmann	East Germany	20 AUG 1987	Potsdam
	23	72.78 m (238 ft 9+1⁄4 in)	Hellmann #2		11 JUN 1987	Neubrandenburg
			Reinsch #4		29 JUN 1988	Berlin
	25	72.72 m (238 ft 6+3⁄4 in)	Wyludda #5		23 JUN 1989	Neubrandenburg
10		72.14 m (236 ft 8 in)	Galina Murashova	Soviet Union	17 AUG 1984	Prague
11		71.80 m (235 ft 6+3⁄4 in)	Mariya Vergova	Bulgaria	13 JUL 1980	Sofia
12		71.68 m (235 ft 2 in)	Xiao Yanling	China	14 MAR 1992	Beijing
13		71.58 m (234 ft 10 in)	Ellina Zvereva	Soviet Union	12 JUN 1988	Leningrad
14		71.50 m (234 ft 6+3⁄4 in)	Evelin Jahl	East Germany	10 MAY 1980	Potsdam
15		71.46 m (234 ft 5+1⁄4 in)	Valarie Allman	United States	08 APR 2022	San Diego
16		71.41 m (234 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Sandra Perković	Croatia	18 JUL 2017	Bellinzona
17		71.30 m (233 ft 11 in)	Larisa Korotkevich	Russia	29 MAY 1992	Sochi
18		71.22 m (233 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	Ria Stalman	Netherlands	15 JUL 1984	Walnut
19		70.88 m (232 ft 6+1⁄2 in)	Hilda Ramos	Cuba	08 MAY 1992	Havana
20		70.80 m (232 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Larisa Mikhalchenko	Soviet Union	18 JUN 1988	Kharkiv
21		70.68 m (231 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	Maritza Martén	Cuba	18 JUL 1992	Seville
22		70.65 m (231 ft 9+1⁄4 in)	Denia Caballero	Cuba	20 JUN 2015	Bilbao
23		70.50 m (231 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Faina Melnik	Soviet Union	24 APR 1976	Sochi
24		70.34 m (230 ft 9+1⁄4 in)	Silvia Madetzky	East Germany	16 MAY 1988	Athens
25		70.22 m (230 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Jorinde van Klinken	Netherlands	22 MAY 2021	Tucson

Annulled marks

• Daniela Costian of Romania threw a best of 73.48 in Bucharest on 30 April 1988. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
• Darya Pishchalnikova of Russia threw a best of 70.69 in Cheboksary on 5 July 2012. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.

Non-legal marks

• Martina Hellmann also threw 78.14 at an unofficial meeting in Berlin on 6 September 1988.
• Ilke Wyludda also threw 75.36 at an unofficial meeting in Berlin on 6 September 1988.

Olympic medalists

Men

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1896 Athens	Robert Garrett  United States	Panagiotis Paraskevopoulos  Greece	Sotirios Versis  Greece
1900 Paris	Rudolf Bauer  Hungary	František Janda-Suk  Bohemia	Richard Sheldon  United States
1904 St. Louis	Martin Sheridan  United States	Ralph Rose  United States	Nikolaos Georgantas  Greece
1908 London	Martin Sheridan  United States	Merritt Giffin  United States	Bill Horr  United States
1912 Stockholm	Armas Taipale  Finland	Richard Byrd  United States	James Duncan  United States
1920 Antwerp	Elmer Niklander  Finland	Armas Taipale  Finland	Gus Pope  United States
1924 Paris	Bud Houser  United States	Vilho Niittymaa  Finland	Thomas Lieb  United States
1928 Amsterdam	Bud Houser  United States	Antero Kivi  Finland	James Corson  United States
1932 Los Angeles	John Anderson  United States	Henri LaBorde  United States	Paul Winter  France
1936 Berlin	Ken Carpenter  United States	Gordon Dunn  United States	Giorgio Oberweger  Italy
1948 London	Adolfo Consolini  Italy	Giuseppe Tosi  Italy	Fortune Gordien  United States
1952 Helsinki	Sim Iness  United States	Adolfo Consolini  Italy	James Dillion  United States
1956 Melbourne	Al Oerter  United States	Fortune Gordien  United States	Des Koch  United States
1960 Rome	Al Oerter  United States	Rink Babka  United States	Dick Cochran  United States
1964 Tokyo	Al Oerter  United States	Ludvík Daněk  Czechoslovakia	Dave Weill  United States
1968 Mexico City	Al Oerter  United States	Lothar Milde  East Germany	Ludvík Daněk  Czechoslovakia
1972 Munich	Ludvík Daněk  Czechoslovakia	Jay Silvester  United States	Ricky Bruch  Sweden
1976 Montreal	Mac Wilkins  United States	Wolfgang Schmidt  East Germany	John Powell  United States
1980 Moscow	Viktor Rashchupkin  Soviet Union	Imrich Bugár  Czechoslovakia	Luis Delís  Cuba
1984 Los Angeles	Rolf Danneberg  West Germany	Mac Wilkins  United States	John Powell  United States
1988 Seoul	Jürgen Schult  East Germany	Romas Ubartas  Soviet Union	Rolf Danneberg  West Germany
1992 Barcelona	Romas Ubartas  Lithuania	Jürgen Schult  Germany	Roberto Moya  Cuba
1996 Atlanta	Lars Riedel  Germany	Vladimir Dubrovshchik  Belarus	Vasiliy Kaptyukh  Belarus
2000 Sydney	Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania	Lars Riedel  Germany	Frantz Kruger  South Africa
2004 Athens	Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania	Zoltán Kővágó  Hungary	Aleksander Tammert  Estonia
2008 Beijing	Gerd Kanter  Estonia	Piotr Małachowski  Poland	Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania
2012 London	Robert Harting  Germany	Ehsan Haddadi  Iran	Gerd Kanter  Estonia
2016 Rio de Janeiro	Christoph Harting  Germany	Piotr Małachowski  Poland	Daniel Jasinski  Germany
2020 Tokyo	Daniel Ståhl  Sweden	Simon Pettersson  Sweden	Lukas Weißhaidinger  Austria
2024 Paris

Women

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1928 Amsterdam	Halina Konopacka  Poland	Lillian Copeland  United States	Ruth Svedberg  Sweden
1932 Los Angeles	Lillian Copeland  United States	Ruth Osburn  United States	Jadwiga Wajs  Poland
1936 Berlin	Gisela Mauermayer  Germany	Jadwiga Wajs  Poland	Paula Mollenhauer  Germany
1948 London	Micheline Ostermeyer  France	Edera Gentile  Italy	Jacqueline Mazéas  France
1952 Helsinki	Nina Romashkova  Soviet Union	Yelisaveta Bagriantseva  Soviet Union	Nina Dumbadze  Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne	Olga Fikotová  Czechoslovakia	Irina Beglyakova  Soviet Union	Nina Romashkova  Soviet Union
1960 Rome	Nina Romashkova  Soviet Union	Tamara Press  Soviet Union	Lia Manoliu  Romania
1964 Tokyo	Tamara Press  Soviet Union	Ingrid Lotz  United Team of Germany	Lia Manoliu  Romania
1968 Mexico City	Lia Manoliu  Romania	Liesel Westermann  West Germany	Jolán Kleiber-Kontsek  Hungary
1972 Munich	Faina Melnik  Soviet Union	Argentina Menis  Romania	Vasilka Stoeva  Bulgaria
1976 Montreal	Evelin Schlaak  East Germany	Mariya Vergova  Bulgaria	Gabriele Hinzmann  East Germany
1980 Moscow	Evelin Jahl  East Germany	Mariya Petkova  Bulgaria	Tatyana Lesovaya  Soviet Union
1984 Los Angeles	Ria Stalman  Netherlands	Leslie Deniz  United States	Florența Crăciunescu  Romania
1988 Seoul	Martina Hellmann  East Germany	Diana Gansky  East Germany	Tsvetanka Khristova  Bulgaria
1992 Barcelona	Maritza Martén  Cuba	Tsvetanka Khristova  Bulgaria	Daniela Costian  Australia
1996 Atlanta	Ilke Wyludda  Germany	Natalya Sadova  Russia	Ellina Zvereva  Belarus
2000 Sydney	Ellina Zvereva  Belarus	Anastasia Kelesidou  Greece	Iryna Yatchenko  Belarus
2004 Athens	Natalya Sadova  Russia	Anastasia Kelesidou  Greece	Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová  Czech Republic
2008 Beijing	Stephanie Brown Trafton  United States	Olena Antonova  Ukraine	Song Aimin  China
2012 London	Sandra Perković  Croatia	Li Yanfeng  China	Yarelys Barrios  Cuba
2016 Rio de Janeiro	Sandra Perković  Croatia	Mélina Robert-Michon  France	Denia Caballero  Cuba
2020 Tokyo	Valarie Allman  United States	Kristin Pudenz  Germany	Yaime Pérez  Cuba
2024 Paris

World Championships medalists

Men

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Imrich Bugár (TCH)	Luis Delís (CUB)	Géjza Valent (TCH)
1987 Rome	Jürgen Schult (GDR)	John Powell (USA)	Luis Delís (CUB)
1991 Tokyo	Lars Riedel (GER)	Erik de Bruin (NED)	Attila Horváth (HUN)
1993 Stuttgart	Lars Riedel (GER)	Dmitry Shevchenko (RUS)	Jürgen Schult (GER)
1995 Gothenburg	Lars Riedel (GER)	Vladimir Dubrovshchik (BLR)	Vasiliy Kaptyukh (BLR)
1997 Athens	Lars Riedel (GER)	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)	Jürgen Schult (GER)
1999 Seville	Anthony Washington (USA)	Jürgen Schult (GER)	Lars Riedel (GER)
2001 Edmonton	Lars Riedel (GER)	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)	Michael Möllenbeck (GER)
2003 Saint-Denis	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)	Róbert Fazekas (HUN)	Vasiliy Kaptyukh (BLR)
2005 Helsinki	Virgilijus Alekna (LTU)	Gerd Kanter (EST)	Michael Möllenbeck (GER)
2007 Osaka	Gerd Kanter (EST)	Robert Harting (GER)	Rutger Smith (NED)
2009 Berlin	Robert Harting (GER)	Piotr Małachowski (POL)	Gerd Kanter (EST)
2011 Daegu	Robert Harting (GER)	Gerd Kanter (EST)	Ehsan Haddadi (IRI)
2013 Moscow	Robert Harting (GER)	Piotr Małachowski (POL)	Gerd Kanter (EST)
2015 Beijing	Piotr Małachowski (POL)	Philip Milanov (BEL)	Robert Urbanek (POL)
2017 London	Andrius Gudžius (LTU)	Daniel Ståhl (SWE)	Mason Finley (USA)
2019 Doha	Daniel Ståhl (SWE)	Fedrick Dacres (JAM)	Lukas Weißhaidinger (AUT)
2022 Eugene	Kristjan Čeh  (SLO)	Mykolas Alekna (LTU)	Andrius Gudžius (LTU)

Women

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Martina Opitz (GDR)	Galina Murašova (URS)	Mariya Petkova (BUL)
1987 Rome	Martina Hellmann (GDR)	Diana Gansky (GDR)	Tsvetanka Khristova (BUL)
1991 Tokyo	Tsvetanka Khristova (BUL)	Ilke Wyludda (GER)	Larisa Mikhalchenko (URS)
1993 Stuttgart	Olga Chernyavskaya (RUS)	Daniela Costian (AUS)	Min Chunfeng (CHN)
1995 Gothenburg	Ellina Zvereva (BLR)	Ilke Wyludda (GER)	Olga Chernyavskaya (RUS)
1997 Athens	Beatrice Faumuina (NZL)	Ellina Zvereva (BLR)	Natalya Sadova (RUS)
1999 Seville	Franka Dietzsch (GER)	Anastasia Kelesidou (GRE)	Nicoleta Grasu (ROU)
2001 Edmonton	Ellina Zvereva (BLR)	Nicoleta Grasu (ROU)	Anastasia Kelesidou (GRE)
2003 Saint-Denis	Iryna Yatchenko (BLR)	Anastasia Kelesidou (GRE)	Ekaterini Voggoli (GRE)
2005 Helsinki	Franka Dietzsch (GER)	Natalya Sadova (RUS)	Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová (CZE)
2007 Osaka	Franka Dietzsch (GER)	Yarelis Barrios (CUB)	Nicoleta Grasu (ROU)
2009 Berlin	Dani Samuels (AUS)	Yarelis Barrios (CUB)	Nicoleta Grasu (ROU)
2011 Daegu	Li Yanfeng (CHN)	Nadine Müller (GER)	Yarelis Barrios (CUB)
2013 Moscow	Sandra Perković (CRO)	Mélina Robert-Michon (FRA)	Yarelis Barrios (CUB)
2015 Beijing	Denia Caballero (CUB)	Sandra Perković (CRO)	Nadine Müller (GER)
2017 London	Sandra Perković (CRO)	Dani Stevens (AUS)	Mélina Robert-Michon (FRA)
2019 Doha	Yaime Pérez (CUB)	Denia Caballero (CUB)	Sandra Perković (CRO)
2022 Eugene	Feng Bin (CHN)	Sandra Perković (CRO)	Valarie Allman (USA)

Season's bests

Men Year Mark Athlete Place 1968 68.40 m (224 ft 4+3⁄4 in)  Jay Silvester (USA) Reno 1969 68.06 m (223 ft 3+1⁄2 in)  Rickard Bruch (SWE) Malmö 1970 67.14 m (220 ft 3+1⁄4 in)  Rickard Bruch (SWE) Malmö 1971 70.38 m (230 ft 10+3⁄4 in)  Jay Silvester (USA) Lancaster 1972 68.40 m (224 ft 4+3⁄4 in)  Rickard Bruch (SWE) Stockholm 1973 67.58 m (221 ft 8+1⁄2 in)  Rickard Bruch (SWE) Skellefteå 1974 68.16 m (223 ft 7+1⁄4 in)  Rickard Bruch (SWE) Helsingborg 1975 69.08 m (226 ft 7+1⁄2 in)  John Powell (USA) Long Beach 1976 70.86 m (232 ft 5+3⁄4 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA) San Jose 1977 69.20 m (227 ft 1⁄4 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA) Westwood 1978 71.16 m (233 ft 5+1⁄2 in)  Wolfgang Schmidt (GER) Berlin 1979 70.66 m (231 ft 9+3⁄4 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA) Walnut 1980 70.98 m (232 ft 10+1⁄4 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA) Erfurt 1981 69.98 m (229 ft 7 in)  John Powell (USA) Modesto 1982 70.58 m (231 ft 6+1⁄2 in)  Luis Delís (CUB) Salinas 1983 71.86 m (235 ft 9 in)  Yuriy Dumchev (RUS) Moskva 1984 71.26 m (233 ft 9+1⁄2 in)  John Powell (USA) San Jose  Ricky Bruch (SWE) Malmö 1985 71.26 m (233 ft 9+1⁄2 in)  Imrich Bugár (TCH) San Jose 1986 74.08 m (243 ft 1⁄2 in)  Jürgen Schult (GER) Neubrandenburg 1987 69.52 m (228 ft 1 in)  Jürgen Schult (GER) Neubrandenburg 1988 70.46 m (231 ft 2 in)  Jürgen Schult (GDR) Berlin 1989 70.92 m (232 ft 8 in)  Wolfgang Schmidt (GER) Norden 1990 68.94 m (226 ft 2 in)  Romas Ubartas (LTU) Smalininkai 1991 69.36 m (227 ft 6+1⁄2 in)  Mike Buncic (USA) Fresno 1992 69.04 m (226 ft 6 in)  Jürgen Schult (GER) Halle 1993 68.42 m (224 ft 5+1⁄2 in)  Lars Riedel (GER) Jena 1994 68.58 m (225 ft 0 in)  Attila Horváth (HUN) Budapest 1995 69.08 m (226 ft 7+1⁄2 in)  Lars Riedel (GER) Bellinzona Monaco 1996 71.14 m (233 ft 4+3⁄4 in)  Anthony Washington (USA) Salinas 1997 71.50 m (234 ft 6+3⁄4 in)  Lars Riedel (GER) Wiesbaden 1998 69.91 m (229 ft 4+1⁄4 in)  John Godina (USA) Salinas 1999 69.18 m (226 ft 11+1⁄2 in)  Lars Riedel (GER) Jena 2000 73.88 m (242 ft 4+1⁄2 in)  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) Kaunas 2001 70.99 m (232 ft 10+3⁄4 in)  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) Stellenbosch 2002 71.70 m (235 ft 2+3⁄4 in)  Róbert Fazekas (HUN) Szombathely 2003 70.78 m (232 ft 2+1⁄2 in)  Róbert Fazekas (HUN) Budapest 2004 70.97 m (232 ft 10 in)  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) Rethimno 2005 70.67 m (231 ft 10+1⁄4 in)  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) Madrid 2006 73.38 m (240 ft 8+3⁄4 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST) Helsingborg 2007 72.02 m (236 ft 3+1⁄4 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST) Salinas 2008 71.88 m (235 ft 9+3⁄4 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST) Salinas 2009 71.64 m (235 ft 1⁄4 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST) Kohila 2010 71.45 m (234 ft 4+3⁄4 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST) Chula Vista 2011 69.50 m (228 ft 0 in)  Zoltán Kővágó (HUN) Budapest 2012 70.66 m (231 ft 9+3⁄4 in)  Robert Harting (GER) Turnov 2013 71.84 m (235 ft 8+1⁄4 in)  Piotr Małachowski (POL) Hengelo 2014 69.28 m (227 ft 3+1⁄2 in)  Piotr Małachowski (POL) Halle 2015 68.29 m (224 ft 1⁄2 in)  Piotr Małachowski (POL) Cetniewo 2016 68.72 m (225 ft 5+1⁄2 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Sollentuna 2017 71.29 m (233 ft 10+1⁄2 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Sollentuna 2018 69.72 m (228 ft 8+3⁄4 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Eskilstuna 2019 71.86 m (235 ft 9 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Bottnaryd 2020 71.37 m (234 ft 1+3⁄4 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Sollentuna 2021 71.40 m (234 ft 3 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Bottnaryd 2022 71.47 m (234 ft 5+3⁄4 in)  Daniel Ståhl (SWE) Uppsala

Women Year Mark Athlete Place 1968 62.54 m (205 ft 2 in)  Liesel Westermann (FRG) Werdohl 1969 63.96 m (209 ft 10 in)  Liesel Westermann (FRG) Hamburg 1970 63.66 m (208 ft 10+1⁄4 in)  Karin Illgen (GDR) Leipzig 1971 64.88 m (212 ft 10+1⁄4 in)  Faina Melnik (URS) Munich 1972 67.32 m (220 ft 10+1⁄4 in)  Argentina Menis (ROU) Constanța 1973 69.48 m (227 ft 11+1⁄4 in)  Faina Melnik (URS) Edinburgh 1974 69.90 m (229 ft 3+3⁄4 in)  Faina Melnik (URS) Prague 1975 70.20 m (230 ft 3+3⁄4 in)  Faina Melnik (URS) Zürich 1976 70.50 m (231 ft 3+1⁄2 in)  Faina Melnik (URS) Sochi 1977 68.92 m (226 ft 1+1⁄4 in)  Sabine Engel (GDR) Karl-Marx-Stadt 1978 70.72 m (232 ft 1⁄4 in)  Evelin Jahl (GDR) Dresden 1979 69.82 m (229 ft 3⁄4 in)  Evelin Jahl (GDR) Leipzig 1980 71.80 m (235 ft 6+3⁄4 in)  Mariya Petkova (BUL) Sofia 1981 71.46 m (234 ft 5+1⁄4 in)  Evelin Jahl (GDR) Berlin 1982 71.40 m (234 ft 3 in)  Irina Meszynski (GDR) Karl-Marx-Stadt 1983 73.26 m (240 ft 4+1⁄4 in)  Galina Savinkova (URS) Leselidze 1984 74.56 m (244 ft 7+1⁄4 in)  Zdeňka Šilhavá (TCH) Nitra 1985 72.96 m (239 ft 4+1⁄4 in)  Galina Savinkova (URS) Erfurt 1986 73.26 m (240 ft 4+1⁄4 in)  Diana Gansky (GDR) Neubrandenburg 1987 74.08 m (243 ft 1⁄2 in)  Diana Gansky (GDR) Karl-Marx-Stadt 1988 76.80 m (251 ft 11+1⁄2 in)  Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) Neubrandenburg 1989 74.56 m (244 ft 7+1⁄4 in)  Ilke Wyludda (GDR) Neubrandenburg 1990 71.10 m (233 ft 3 in)  Ilke Wyludda (GDR) Tel Aviv 1991 71.02 m (233 ft 0 in)  Tsvetanka Khristova (BUL) Tokyo 1992 71.68 m (235 ft 2 in)  Xiao Yanling (CHN) Beijing 1993 68.14 m (223 ft 6+1⁄2 in)  Larisa Korotkevich (RUS) Vénissieux 1994 68.58 m (225 ft 0 in)  Daniela Costian (AUS) Auckland 1995 69.68 m (228 ft 7+1⁄4 in)  Mette Bergmann (NOR) Florø 1996 69.66 m (228 ft 6+1⁄2 in)  Ilke Wyludda (GER) Atlanta 1997 70.00 m (229 ft 7+3⁄4 in)  Xiao Yanling (CHN) Shanghai 1998 68.91 m (226 ft 3⁄4 in)  Franka Dietzsch (GER) Stendal 1999 70.02 m (229 ft 8+1⁄2 in)  Natalya Sadova (RUS) Thessaloníki 2000 68.70 m (225 ft 4+1⁄2 in)  Nicoleta Grasu (ROU) Bucharest 2001 68.57 m (224 ft 11+1⁄2 in)  Natalya Sadova (RUS) Edmonton 2002 67.73 m (222 ft 2+1⁄2 in)  Natalya Sadova (RUS) Tula 2003 69.38 m (227 ft 7+1⁄4 in)  Natalya Sadova (RUS) Halle 2004 69.14 m (226 ft 10 in)  Irina Yatchenko (BLR) Minsk 2005 66.81 m (219 ft 2+1⁄4 in)  Vera Cechlová (CZE) Madrid 2006 68.51 m (224 ft 9 in)  Franka Dietzsch (GER) Schönebeck 2007 68.06 m (223 ft 3+1⁄2 in)  Franka Dietzsch (GER) Halle 2008 66.51 m (218 ft 2+1⁄2 in)  Nicoleta Grasu (ROU) Istanbul 2009 66.40 m (217 ft 10 in)  Li Yanfeng (CHN) Jinan 2010 67.78 m (222 ft 4+1⁄2 in)  Nadine Müller (GER) Wiesbaden 2011 67.98 m (223 ft 1⁄4 in)  Li Yanfeng (CHN) Schönebeck 2012 69.11 m (226 ft 8+3⁄4 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) London 2013 68.96 m (226 ft 2+3⁄4 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) Lausanne 2014 71.08 m (233 ft 2+1⁄4 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) Zürich 2015 70.65 m (231 ft 9+1⁄4 in)  Denia Caballero (CUB) Bilbao 2016 70.88 m (232 ft 6+1⁄2 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) Shanghai 2017 71.41 m (234 ft 3+1⁄4 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) Barcelona 2018 71.38 m (234 ft 2 in)  Sandra Perković (CRO) Doha 2019 69.39 m (227 ft 7+3⁄4 in)  Yaime Pérez (CUB) Sotteville 2020 70.15 m (230 ft 1+3⁄4 in)  Valarie Allman (USA) Rathdrum 2021 71.16 m (233 ft 5+1⁄2 in)  Valarie Allman (USA) Berlin 2022 71.46 m (234 ft 5+1⁄4 in)  Valarie Allman (USA) San Diego

See also

• List of discus throw national champions (men)
• United States champions in women's discus throw
•  Sport of athletics portal

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Discus throw.

• World Record
• Discus History
• IAAF list of discus-throw records in XML