|
Athletics Hammer throw | |
|---|---|
Irish American John Flanagan in the hammer throw competition at the Summer Olympics 1908 in London
| |
| World records | |
| Men |
 Yuriy Sedykh 86.74 m (1986) |
| Women |
 Anita Włodarczyk 82.98 m (2016) |
| Olympic records | |
| Men |
Sergey Litvinov 84.80 m (1988) |
| Women |
Anita Włodarczyk 82.29 m (2016) |
| World Championship records | |
| Men |
 Ivan Tsikhan 83.63 m (2007) |
| Women |
Anita Włodarczyk 80.85 m (2015) |
The traditional Highland games version of the event
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consists of a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip. The size of the ball varies between men's and women's competitions.
History
With roots dating back to the 15th century, the contemporary version of the hammer throw is one of the oldest of Olympic Games competitions, first included at the 1900 games in Paris, France (the second Olympiad of the modern era). Its history since the late 1960s and legacy prior to inclusion in the Olympics has been dominated by Europe and Eastern European influence, which has affected interest in the event in other parts of the world.
The hammer evolved from its early informal origins to become part of the Scottish Highland games in the late 18th century, where the original version of the event is still contested today.
While the men's hammer throw has been part of the Olympics since 1900, the International Association of Athletics Federations did not start ratifying women's marks until 1995. Women's hammer throw was first included in the Olympics at the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia after having been included in the World Championships a year earlier.
Competition
The men's hammer weighs 16 pounds (7.26 kg) and measures 3 feet 11+3⁄4 inches (121.3 cm) in length, and the women's hammer weighs 4 kg (8.82 lb) and 3 ft 11 in (119.4 cm) in length. Like the other throwing events, the competition is decided by who can throw the implement the farthest.
Although commonly thought of as a strength event, technical advancements in the last 30 years have developed hammer throw competition to a point where more focus is on speed in order to gain maximum distance.
The throwing motion starts with the thrower swinging the hammer back-and-forth about two times to generate momentum. The thrower then makes three, four or (rarely) five full rotations using a complex heel-toe foot movement, spinning the hammer in a circular path and increasing its angular velocity with each rotation. Rather than spinning the hammer horizontally, it is instead spun in a plane that angles up towards the direction in which it will be launched. The thrower releases the hammer as its velocity is upward and toward the target.
Throws are made from a throwing circle. The thrower is not allowed to step outside the throwing circle before the hammer has landed and may only enter and exit from the rear of the throwing circle. The hammer must land within a 34.92º throwing sector that is centered on the throwing circle. The sector angle was chosen because it provides a sector whose bounds are easy to measure and lay out on a field (10 metres out from the center of the ring, 6 metres across). A violation of the rules results in a foul and the throw not being counted.
As of 2015 the men's hammer world record is held by Yuriy Sedykh, who threw 86.74 m (284 ft 6+3⁄4 in) at the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, West Germany on 30 August. The world record for the women's hammer is held by Anita Włodarczyk, who threw 82.98 m (272 ft 2+3⁄4 in) during the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial on 28 August 2016.
All-time top 25
Men
Men's Hammer Throw Final – 28th Summer Universiade in Gwangju, China, 2015 (Polish thrower Paweł Fajdek from Poland)
- Correct as of May 2022.
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Mark | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 86.74 m (284 ft 6 in) | Yuriy Sedykh |
Soviet Union
|
30 AUG 1986 | Stuttgart | |
| 2 | 86.66 m (284 ft 3 in) | Sedykh #2 | 22 JUN 1986 | Tallinn | |||
| 3 | 86.34 m (283 ft 3 in) | Sedykh #3 | 03 JUL 1984 | Cork | |||
| 2 | 4 | 86.04 m (282 ft 3 in) | Sergey Litvinov |
Soviet Union
|
03 JUL 1986 | Dresden | |
| 5 | 85.74 m (281 ft 3 in) | Litvinov #2 | 30 AUG 1986 | Stuttgart | |||
| 6 | 85.68 m (281 ft 1 in) | Sedykh #4 | 11 AUG 1986 | Budapest | |||
| 7 | 85.60 m (280 ft 10 in) | Sedykh #5 | 13 JUL 1984 | London | |||
| Sedykh #6 | 17 AUG 1984 | Moscow | |||||
| 9 | 85.20 m (279 ft 6 in) | Litvinov #3 | 03 JUL 1984 | Cork | |||
| 10 | 85.14 m (279 ft 3 in) | Litvinov #4 | 11 JUL 1986 | London | |||
| Sedykh #7 | 04 SEP 1988 | Moscow | |||||
| 12 | 85.02 m (278 ft 11 in) | Sedykh #8 | 20 AUG 1984 | Budapest | |||
| 13 | 84.92 m (278 ft 7 in) | Sedykh #9 | 03 JUL 1986 | Dresden | |||
| 3 | 14 | 84.90 m (278 ft 6 in) | Vadim Devyatovskiy |
Belarus
|
21 JUL 2005 | Minsk | |
| 15 | 84.88 m (278 ft 5 in) | Litvinov #5 | 10 SEP 1986 | Rome | |||
| 4 | 16 | 84.86 m (278 ft 4 in) | Koji Murofushi |
 Japan
|
29 JUN 2003 | Prague | |
| 17 | 84.80 m (278 ft 2 in) | Litvinov #6 | 26 SEP 1988 | Seoul | |||
| 18 | 84.72 m (277 ft 11 in) | Sedykh #10 | 09 JUL 1986 | Moscow | |||
| 19 | 84.64 m (277 ft 8 in) | Litvinov #7 | 09 JUL 1986 | Moscow | |||
| 5 | 20 | 84.62 m (277 ft 7 in) | Igor Astapkovich |
 Belarus
|
06 JUN 1992 | Seville | |
| 21 | 84.60 m (277 ft 6 in) | Sedykh #11 | 14 SEP 1984 | Tokyo | |||
| 22 | 84.58 m (277 ft 5 in) | Sedykh #12 | 08 JUN 1986 | Leningrad | |||
| 6 | 23 | 84.51 m (277 ft 3 in) | Ivan Tsikhan |
Belarus
|
09 JUL 2008 | Grodno | |
| 7 | 24 | 84.48 m (277 ft 1 in) | Igor Nikulin |
Soviet Union
|
12 JUL 1990 | Lausanne | |
| 25 | 84.46 m (277 ft 1 in) | Sedykh #13 | 14 SEP 1988 | Vladivostok | |||
| Tsikhan #2 | 07 MAY 2004 | Minsk | |||||
| 8 | 84.40 m (276 ft 10 in) | Jüri Tamm |
Soviet Union
|
09 SEP 1984 | Banská Bystrica | ||
| 9 | 84.19 m (276 ft 2 in) | Adrián Annus |
 Hungary
|
10 AUG 2003 | Szombathely | ||
| 10 | 83.93 m (275 ft 4 in) | Paweł Fajdek |
Poland
|
09 AUG 2015 | Szczecin | ||
| 11 | 83.68 m (274 ft 6 in) | Tibor Gécsek |
Hungary
|
19 SEP 1998 | Zalaegerszeg | ||
| 12 | 83.46 m (273 ft 9 in) | Andrey Abduvaliyev |
Soviet Union
|
26 MAY 1990 | Adler | ||
| 13 | 83.43 m (273 ft 8 in) | Aleksey Zagornyi |
 Russia
|
10 FEB 2002 | Adler | ||
| 14 | 83.40 m (273 ft 7 in) | Ralf Haber |
 East Germany
|
16 MAY 1988 | Athens | ||
| 15 | 83.38 m (273 ft 6 in) | Szymon Ziółkowski |
Poland
|
05 AUG 2001 | Edmonton | ||
| 16 | 83.30 m (273 ft 3 in) | Olli-Pekka Karjalainen |
 Finland
|
14 JUL 2004 | Lahti | ||
| 17 | 83.04 m (272 ft 5 in) | Heinz Weis |
 Germany
|
29 JUN 1997 | Frankfurt | ||
| 18 | 83.00 m (272 ft 3 in) | Balázs Kiss |
Hungary
|
04 JUN 1998 | Saint-Denis | ||
| 19 | 82.78 m (271 ft 7 in) | Karsten Kobs |
Germany
|
26 JUN 1999 | Dortmund | ||
| 20 | 82.71 m (271 ft 4 in) | Rudy Winkler |
 United States
|
20 JUN 2021 | Eugene | ||
| 21 | 82.69 m (271 ft 3 in) | Krisztián Pars |
Hungary
|
16 AUG 2014 | Zürich | ||
| 22 | 82.64 m (271 ft 1 in) | Günther Rodehau |
East Germany
|
03 AUG 1985 | Dresden | ||
| 23 | 82.62 m (271 ft 0 in) | Sergey Kirmasov |
Russia
|
30 MAY 1998 | Bryansk | ||
| Andriy Skvaruk |
 Ukraine
|
27 APR 2002 | Kyiv | ||||
| 25 | 82.58 m (270 ft 11 in) | Primož Kozmus |
 Slovenia
|
02 SEP 2009 | Celje |
Annulled marks
- Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus also threw 86.73 in Brest on 3 July 2005. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
Women
- Correct as of April 2023.
| Ath.# | Perf.# | Mark | Athlete | Nation | Date | Place | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 82.98 m (272 ft 2 in) | Anita Włodarczyk |
Poland
|
28 AUG 2016 | Warsaw | |
| 2 | 82.87 m (271 ft 10 in) | Włodarczyk #2 | 29 JUL 2017 | Władysławowo | |||
| 3 | 82.29 m (269 ft 11 in) | Włodarczyk #3 | 15 AUG 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | |||
| 4 | 81.08 m (266 ft 0 in) | Włodarczyk #4 | 01 AUG 2015 | Władysławowo | |||
| 5 | 80.85 m (265 ft 3 in) | Włodarczyk #5 | 27 AUG 2015 | Beijing | |||
| 6 | 80.79 m (265 ft 0 in) | Włodarczyk #6 | 23 JUL 2017 | Białystok | |||
| 2 | 7 | 80.31 m (263 ft 5 in) | DeAnna Price |
United States
|
26 JUN 2021 | Eugene | |
| 8 | 80.26 m (263 ft 3 in) | Włodarczyk #7 | 12 JUL 2016 | Władysławowo | |||
| 9 | 79.80 m (261 ft 9 in) | Włodarczyk #8 | 15 AUG 2017 | Warsaw | |||
| 3 | 10 | 79.80 m (261 ft 9 in) | Brooke Andersen |
United States
|
20 APR 2023 | Charlottesville | |
| 11 | 79.73 m (261 ft 6 in) | Włodarczyk #9 | 06 MAY 2017 | Doha | |||
| 12 | 79.72 m (261 ft 6 in) | Włodarczyk #10 | 27 JUN 2017 | Ostrava | |||
| 13 | 79.61 m (261 ft 2 in) | Włodarczyk #11 | 18 JUN 2016 | Szczecin | |||
| 14 | 79.59 m (261 ft 1 in) | Włodarczyk #12 | 22 JUL 2018 | Lublin | |||
| 15 | 79.58 m (261 ft 1 in) | Włodarczyk #13 | 31 AUG 2014 | Berlin | |||
| 16 | 79.48 m (260 ft 9 in) | Włodarczyk #14 | 21 MAY 2016 | Halle | |||
| 17 | 79.45 m (260 ft 7 in) | Włodarczyk #15 | 29 MAY 2016 | Forbach | |||
| 4 | 18 | 79.42 m (260 ft 6 in) | Betty Heidler |
Germany
|
21 MAY 2011 | Halle | |
| 19 | 79.02 m (259 ft 3 in) | Andersen #2 | 30 APR 2022 | Tucson | |||
| 20 | 78.96 m (259 ft 0 in) | Andersen #3 | 17 JUL 2022 | Eugene | |||
| 21 | 78.94 m (258 ft 11 in) | Włodarczyk #16 | 12 AUG 2018 | Berlin | |||
| 22 | 78.76 m (258 ft 4 in) | Włodarczyk #17 | 15 AUG 2014 | Zürich | |||
| 23 | 78.74 m (258 ft 4 in) | Włodarczyk #18 | 14 JUL 2018 | London | |||
| 24 | 78.69 m (258 ft 2 in) | Andersen #4 | 27 APR 2023 | Des Moines | |||
| 25 | 78.60 m (257 ft 10 in) | Price #2 | 09 APR 2021 | Warrensburg | |||
| 5 | 78.51 m (257 ft 6 in) | Tatyana Lysenko |
Russia
|
05 JUL 2012 | Cheboksary | ||
| 6 | 78.00 m (255 ft 10 in) | Janee' Kassanavoid |
United States
|
21 MAY 2022 | Tucson | ||
| 7 | 77.84 m (255 ft 4 in) | Camryn Rogers |
 Canada
|
15 APR 2023 | Walnut | ||
| 8 | 77.78 m (255 ft 2 in) | Gwen Berry |
United States
|
08 JUN 2018 | Chorzów | ||
| 9 | 77.68 m (254 ft 10 in) | Wang Zheng |
 China
|
29 MAR 2014 | Chengdu | ||
| 10 | 77.33 m (253 ft 8 in) | Zhang Wenxiu |
China
|
28 SEP 2014 | Incheon | ||
| 11 | 77.32 m (253 ft 8 in) | Aksana Miankova |
Belarus
|
29 JUN 2008 | Minsk | ||
| 12 | 77.26 m (253 ft 5 in) | Gulfiya Agafonova |
Russia
|
12 JUN 2006 | Tula | ||
| 13 | 77.13 m (253 ft 0 in) | Oksana Kondratyeva |
Russia
|
30 JUN 2013 | Zhukovskiy | ||
| 14 | 76.90 m (252 ft 3 in) | Martina Hrašnová |
 Slovakia
|
16 MAY 2009 | Trnava | ||
| 15 | 76.85 m (252 ft 1 in) | Malwina Kopron |
Poland
|
26 AUG 2017 | Taipei City | ||
| 16 | 76.83 m (252 ft 0 in) | Kamila Skolimowska |
Poland
|
11 MAY 2007 | Doha | ||
| 17 | 76.72 m (251 ft 8 in) | Mariya Bespalova |
Russia
|
23 JUN 2012 | Zhukovsky | ||
| 18 | 76.66 m (251 ft 6 in) | Volha Tsander |
Belarus
|
21 JUL 2005 | Minsk | ||
| 19 | 76.63 m (251 ft 4 in) | Yekaterina Khoroshikh |
Russia
|
24 JUN 2006 | Zhukovsky | ||
| 20 | 76.62 m (251 ft 4 in) | Yipsi Moreno |
 Cuba
|
09 SEP 2008 | Zagreb | ||
| 21 | 76.56 m (251 ft 2 in) | Alena Matoshka |
Belarus
|
12 JUN 2012 | Minsk | ||
| 22 | 76.35 m (250 ft 5 in) | Joanna Fiodorow |
Poland
|
28 SEP 2019 | Doha | ||
| 23 | 76.33 m (250 ft 5 in) | Darya Pchelnik |
Belarus
|
29 JUN 2008 | Minsk | ||
| 24 | 76.26 m (250 ft 2 in) | Hanna Malyshik |
Belarus
|
27 APR 2018 | Brest | ||
| 25 | 76.21 m (250 ft 0 in) | Yelena Konevtseva |
Russia
|
26 MAY 2007 | Sochi |
Annulled marks
The following athletes had their performances (over 77.00 m) annulled due to doping offences:
- Tatyana Lysenko (Russia) 78.80 (2013) and 78.15 (2013).
- Aksana Miankova (Belarus) 78.69 and 78.19 (both 2012).
- Gulfiya Agafonova (Russia) 77.36 (2007).
Olympic medalists
Men
Women
World Championships medalists
Men
Medal table
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Poland (POL)
|
7 | 2 | 4 | 13 |
| 2 |
Soviet Union (URS)
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 |
Belarus (BLR)
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 |
Germany (GER)
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 |
 Tajikistan (TJK)
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 |
Japan (JPN)
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
|
Slovenia (SLO)
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 8 |
United States (USA)
|
1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 9 |
Hungary (HUN)
|
0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 10 |
Ukraine (UKR)
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 |
Canada (CAN)
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 France (FRA)
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| – |
 Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA)
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 |
Russia (RUS)
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 14 |
 Czech Republic (CZE)
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
East Germany (GDR)
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
|
Finland (FIN)
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
 Norway (NOR)
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
|
Slovakia (SVK)
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (18 entries) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 57 | |
Women
| Championships | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1999 Seville |
 Mihaela Melinte (ROU)
|
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS)
|
 Lisa Misipeka (ASA)
|
|
2001 Edmonton |
Yipsi Moreno (CUB)
|
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS)
|
 Bronwyn Eagles (AUS)
|
|
2003 Saint-Denis |
Yipsi Moreno (CUB)
|
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS)
|
Manuela Montebrun (FRA)
|
|
2005 Helsinki |
Yipsi Moreno (CUB)
|
Tatyana Lysenko (RUS)
|
Manuela Montebrun (FRA)
|
|
2007 Osaka |
Betty Heidler (GER)
|
Yipsi Moreno (CUB)
|
Zhang Wenxiu (CHN)
|
|
2009 Berlin |
Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
|
Betty Heidler (GER)
|
Martina Hrašnová (SVK)
|
|
2011 Daegu |
Tatyana Lysenko (RUS)
|
Betty Heidler (GER)
|
Zhang Wenxiu (CHN)
|
|
2013 Moscow |
Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
|
Zhang Wenxiu (CHN)
|
Wang Zheng (CHN)
|
|
2015 Beijing |
Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
|
Zhang Wenxiu (CHN)
|
Alexandra Tavernier (FRA)
|
|
2017 London |
Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
|
Wang Zheng (CHN)
|
Malwina Kopron (POL)
|
|
2019 Doha |
DeAnna Price (USA)
|
Joanna Fiodorow (POL)
|
Wang Zheng (CHN)
|
|
2022 Eugene |
Brooke Andersen (USA)
|
Camryn Rogers (CAN)
|
Janee' Kassanavoid (USA)
|
Season's bests
Men
|
Women
|
See also
External links
- IAAF list of hammer-throw records in XML
- HammerThrow.eu (Results, Top-Lists, Records, Videos, ...)
- HammerThrow.org (Information about the event, coaching tips and resources, ...)
- Statistics
- Hammer Throw Records
- Hammer Throw History
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