Discus throw at the Olympics

The discus throw is one of four track and field throwing events held at the Summer Olympics. The men's discus throw has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896 (one of two throws events at the first Olympics, alongside the shot put). The women's event was first contested at the 1928 Olympics, being one of the five athletics events in the inaugural Olympic women's programme.

Discus throw
at the Olympic Games
The inaugural discus throw in 1896
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 18962016
Women: 19282016
Olympic record
Men69.89 m Virgilijus Alekna (2004)
Women72.30 m Martina Hellmann (1988)
Reigning champion
Men Christoph Harting (GER)
Women Sandra Perković (CRO)

The Olympic records are 69.89 m (229 ft 3 12 in) for men, set by Virgilijus Alekna in 2004, and 72.30 m (237 ft 2 14 in) for women, set by Martina Hellmann in 1988.

Two variations on the event have been contested at the Olympics: a two-handed competition at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, with athletes using both left and right arm putting techniques, and a stone throw at the 1906 Intercalated Games.

Medalists (shows down below)

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

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Al Oerter United States (USA)1956–19684004
2Virgilijus Alekna Lithuania (LTU)2000–20082013
3Martin Sheridan United States (USA)1904–19082002
Bud Houser United States (USA)1924–19282002
5Ludvík Daněk Czechoslovakia (TCH)1964–19721113
6Armas Taipale Finland (FIN)1912–19201102
Adolfo Consolini Italy (ITA)1948–19521102
Mac Wilkins United States (USA)1976–19841102
Jürgen Schult East Germany (GDR)
 Germany (GER)
1988–19921102
Romas Ubartas Soviet Union (URS)
 Lithuania (LTU)
1988–19921102
Lars Riedel Germany (GER)1996–20001102
12Rolf Danneberg West Germany (FRG)1984–19881012
Gerd Kanter Estonia (EST)2008–20121012
14Piotr Małachowski Poland (POL)2008–20160202
15Fortune Gordien United States (USA)1948–19560112
16John Powell United States (USA)1976–19840022

Medalists by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States (USA)1391335
2 Germany (GER)3216
3 Lithuania (LTU)3014
4 Finland (FIN)2305
5 Czechoslovakia (TCH)1214
 Italy (ITA)1214
7 East Germany (GDR)1203
8 Hungary (HUN)1102
 Soviet Union (URS)1102
10 Estonia (EST)1023
11 West Germany (FRG)1012
12 Poland (POL)0202
13 Greece (GRE)0123
14 Belarus (BLR)0112
15 Bohemia (BOH)0101
 Iran (IRI)0101
17 Cuba (CUB)0022
18 France (FRA)0011
 South Africa (RSA)0011
 Sweden (SWE)0011

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[1]
2008 Beijing
Stephanie Brown Trafton
 United States
Yarelys Barrios
 Cuba
Olena Antonova
 Ukraine
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

Multiple medalists

Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1Nina Romashkova Soviet Union (URS)1952–19602013
2Evelin Jahl East Germany (GDR)1976–19802002
Sandra Perković Croatia (CRO)2012–20162002
4Lillian Copeland United States (USA)1928–19321102
Tamara Press Soviet Union (URS)1960–19641102
Natalya Sadova Russia (RUS)1996–20041102
7Lia Manoliu Romania (ROU)1960–19681023
8Ellina Zvereva Belarus (BLR)1996–20001012
9Mariya Petkova Bulgaria (BUL)1976–19800202
Anastasia Kelesidou Greece (GRE)2000–20040202
11Jadwiga Wajs Poland (POL)1932–19360112
Tsvetanka Khristova Bulgaria (BUL)1988–19920112
Yarelys Barrios Cuba (CUB)2008–20120112

Medalists by country

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Soviet Union (URS)43310
2 East Germany (GDR)3115
3 United States (USA)2305
4 Germany (GER)[nb]2114
5 Croatia (CRO)2002
6 Romania (ROU)1135
7 Cuba (CUB)1124
8 France (FRA)1113
 Poland (POL)1113
10 Russia (RUS)1102
11 Belarus (BLR)1024
12 Czechoslovakia (TCH)1001
 Netherlands (NED)1001
14 Bulgaria (BUL)0325
15 Greece (GRE)0202
16 China (CHN)0101
 Italy (ITA)0101
 West Germany (FRG)0101
19 Australia (AUS)0011
 Czech Republic (CZE)0011
 Hungary (HUN)0011
 Sweden (SWE)0011
 Ukraine (UKR)0011

Intercalated Games

The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[2]

Martin Sheridan, the Olympic champion in 1904 and 1908, won the 1906 title as well. A 1904 medallist, Nikolaos Georgantas, was runner-up, while Verner Järvinen took the bronze medal in addition to the Greek-style event gold medal he won at the 1906 Games.[3]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
 Martin Sheridan (USA)  Nikolaos Georgantas (GRE)  Verner Järvinen (FIN)

Greek-style discus throw

At both the 1906 Intercalated Games and the 1908 London Olympics, a Greek-style discus throwing competition was held. This variant had athletes stood on a raised pedestal and throwing the implement in a prescribed technique, which was suggested to emulate the throwing technique of the Ancient Olympic Games.[4] Academics studying ancient Greek artefacts stated that the style was a misinterpretation of a text.[5] Verner Järvinen was the 1906 champion after winning the bronze medal with the standard-style. Martin Sheridan won both Greek-style and regular-style gold medals in 1908.[6]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
 Verner Järvinen (FIN)  Nikolaos Georgantas (GRE)  István Mudin (HUN)
1908 London
 Martin Sheridan (USA)  Bill Horr (USA)  Verner Järvinen (FIN)

Two-handed discus throw

At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics a two-handed variant of the standard discus throw competition took place. Each athlete had three attempts using each hand and their score was calculated by adding their best performances for the left and right hands. It featured two rounds, with the top three after the first round receiving a further three attempts with each arm.[7]

All three of the medallists took part in the main Olympic men's discus event and Finland's Armas Taipale emerged as a double gold medallist.[8] Silver medallist Elmer Niklander also won a medal in the two-handed shot put.[9] Third place Emil Magnusson won the only Olympic medal of his career in the event.[10]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1912 Stockholm
 Armas Taipale (FIN)  Elmer Niklander (FIN)  Emil Magnusson (SWE)

Non-canonical Olympic events

In addition to the main 1900 Olympic men's discus throw, a handicap competition was held four days later. Gustaf Söderström, who had placed sixth in the main event, took first place with a throw of 40.50 m, having had a handicap of 5.5 m. Gyula Strausz, 13th in the main discus, was runner-up with 39.49 m off a 6.3 m handicap. Karl Gustaf Staaf, a gold medalist in the tug of war, was third with 38.80 m (8 m handicap)[11][12]

The handicap event returned at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Martin Sheridan and Ralph Rose repeated their 1–2 placings from the Olympic men's discus and John Biller, fifth in the main event, took third place.[12]

These events are no longer considered part of the official Olympic history of the discus throw or the athletics programme in general. Consequently, medals from these competitions have not been assigned to nations on the all-time medal tables.[12]

References

Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. Day 2 of IOC Executive Board meeting in St. Petersburg . Olympic (2013-05-30). Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
  2. 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 26 January 2014.
  3. Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Discus Throw. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 19 April 2014.
  4. Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Discus Throw, Greek Style. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  5. Athletics at the 1908 London Summer Games: Men's Discus Throw, Greek Style. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  6. Martin Sheridan. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  7. Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Discus Throw, Both Hands Qualifying Round. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  8. Armas Taipale. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  9. Elmer Niklander. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  10. Emil Magnusson. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
  11. Athletics at the 1900 Paris Summer Games: Men's Discus Throw, Handicap. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 22 March 2014.
  12. Handicap Olympic Athletics Events. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 18 April 2014.
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