Discus throw
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The discus throw is an event in track and field competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc — called a discus — in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus. Although not part of the modern pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient pentathlon, which can be dated at least back to 708 BC.[1]
The discus throw is a routine part of most modern track and field meets at all levels and is a sport which is particularly iconic of the Olympic Games. The men's competition has been a part of the modern Summer Olympic Games since the first Olympiad in 1896. Images of discus throwers figured prominently in advertising for early modern Games, such as fundraising stamps for the 1896 games[2] and the main posters for the 1920 and 1948 Summer Olympics.[3]
The women's competition was added to the Olympic program in the 1928 games, although they had been competing at some national and regional levels previously.
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[edit] Description
The discus, the object to be thrown, is a heavy lenticular disc with a diameter of 220 mm (8.66 inches) and a weight of 2 kilograms (4 lb 7 oz) for the men's event, and a diameter of 181 mm (7.17 inches) and a weight of one kg (2 lb 3 oz) for the women's event. In U.S. high school track and field, boys typically throw a discus weighing 1.616 kg (3 lb 9 oz) and the girls throw the 1 kg (2.2 lb) women's disc. The discus can be thrown starting at age 11 (midget division). Most children throw the 1 kg discus. The discus usually has sides made of rubber, plastic, wood, or metal with a metal rim and a metal core to attain the weight. 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. A practice discus made of solid rubber is often used in High School; it is cheaper, more durable, and easier to learn to throw (due to its more equal distribution of weight, as opposed to the heavy rim weight of the metal rim/core discus).
To make a throw, the competitor starts in a slightly recessed concrete-surfaced circle of 2.5 meters (8 feet 2½ inches) diameter. The thrower typically takes an initial stance facing away from the direction of the throw. He then spins around one and a half times through the circle to build momentum, then releases his throw. The discus must land within a 35-degree arc marked by lines on the landing zone, and the competitor must not exit the circle until the discus has landed, then must wait for the judge to give clearance to exit the ring from the rear half. The distance from the front edge of the circle to where the discus has landed is measured, and distances are rounded down to the nearest centimeter or half-inch. The competitor's best throw from the allocated number of throws, typically three to six, is recorded, and the competitor who legally throws the discus the farthest is declared the winner. Ties are broken by determining which thrower has the longer second-best throw.
The basic motion is a forehanded sidearm movement. The discus is spun off the index finger or the middle finger of the throwing hand, spinning clockwise when viewed above for a right-handed thrower, and vice-versa. 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 behaviour of the discus. Generally, one wishes to throw into a moderate headwind to achieve maximum throws. Also, a faster-spinning discus imparts greater gyroscopic stability. The technique of discus throwing is quite difficult to master and needs lots of experience to get right, thus most top throwers are thirty years old or older.
[edit] Top Ten Performers
Accurate as of June 16, 2009[4].
[edit] Men
[edit] Women
| MARK | ATHLETE | VENUE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74.08 m (243 ft 0 in) |  Jürgen Schult (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | June 6, 1986 |
| 73.88 m (242 ft 4 in) |  Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) |
Kaunas | August 3, 2000 |
| 73.38 m (240 ft 9 in) |  Gerd Kanter (EST) |
Helsingborg | September 4, 2006 |
| 71.86 m (235 ft 9 in) |  Yuriy Dumchev (URS) |
Moscow | May 29, 1983 |
| 71.70 m (235 ft 2 in) |  Róbert Fazekas (HUN) |
Szombathely | July 14, 2002 |
| 71.64 m (235 ft 0 in) | Gerd Kanter (EST) |
Kohila |
June 25, 2009 |
| 71.50 m (234 ft 7 in) |  Lars Riedel (GER) |
Wiesbaden | May 3, 1997 |
| 71.32 m (233 ft 11 in) |  Ben Plucknett (USA) |
Eugene | June 4, 1983 |
| 71.26 m (233 ft 9 in) | John Powell (USA) |
San Jose | June 9, 1984 |
| 71.26 m (233 ft 9 in) |  Rickard Bruch (SWE) |
Malmö | November 15, 1984 |
| MARK | ATHLETE | VENUE | DATE |
| 76.80 | Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | July 9, 1988 |
| 74.56 |  Zdenka Šilhavá (TCH) |
Nitra | August 26, 1984 |
| 74.56 | Ilke Wyludda (GDR) |
Neubrandenburg | July 23, 1989 |
| 74.08 | Diana Sachse-Gansky (GDR) |
Karl-Marx-Stadt | June 20, 1987 |
| 73.84 |  Daniela Costian (ROU) |
Bucharest | April 30, 1988 |
| 73.36 | Irina Meszynski (GDR) |
Prague | August 17, 1984 |
| 73.28 | Galina Savinkova (URS) |
Donetsk | September 8, 1984 |
| 73.23 |  Tsvetanka Khristova (BUL) |
Kazanlak | April 19, 1987 |
| 73.10 | Gisela Beyer (GDR) |
Berlin | July 20, 1984 |
| 72.92 | Martina Hellmann (GDR) |
Potsdam | August 20, 1987 |
[edit] World Record Progress
[edit] Men
[edit] Women
[edit] See also
- 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.
- National champions discus throw (men)
- National champions discus throw (women)
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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