© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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COMPETITION  EVENTS |
 THROWING THEIR WEIGHT AROUND
Paris 2003 Saint-Denis
There was a time when shot putters could rely on physical strength alone. Not any more. The fine art of putting the shot has evolved in recent years, and today’s elite putters have to call on well-honed technique, peak fitness levels and a healthy dose of showmanship.
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| Frenchman Yannick Issenbeck Vandystadt |
A bit of shot putting history
Unsurprisingly perhaps, the shot put can be dated back to Antiquity. Today’s discipline bears very little resemblance to the Ancient sport, though, which is understandable given that the gigantic Bybon stone in Olympia weighed 143.5 kg! Historical records show the throwing games played by 12th century British princes were more closely related to shot put as we know it today, although it wasn’t until the 19th century, when the armies of Europe began producing one-size shot for their artillery that the sport adopted a set of standard rules. So it was that the ball took on its spherical shape and weight of 7.257 kg for men, and agreement was reached on the size of the shot put circle.
From 1896 to 1968, the United States were virtually unchallenged in their hegemony over the sport, only Frans Porhola from Finland at the Antwerp Games of 1920 and German Hans Woellke at the Berlin Olympics of 1936 prevented the Americans from making a clean sweep of Olympic Golds. Even prior to the modern Olympics, the sport had its stars: Briton John Stone broke the world record four times from 1867 to 1870, becoming the first man to throw over 11 and then 12 metres. Canadian George Gray took the sport even further, bettering the world record on no less than six occasions and smashing the 14 metre barrier in 1890 (14.07m).
How to throw the shot put
Athletes must commence the put from a stationary position inside the circle. They rest the shot between the neck and shoulder. Most begin crouched down with their backs to the field so as to gain momentum from the rotating movement that carries them round and upwards towards the front of the circle, from where they release the shot by pushing their throwing arm straight. The competitor must not leave the circle before the shot has touched the ground. For a throw to be declared valid, the shot must land within 50mm wide lines drawn at a sector of 40° that intersects at the centre of the circle.
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| John Godina : a monument... |
The greatest shot putters of all time
Parry O’Brien (USA): The first man to break the 19 metre barrier, O’Brien bettered the world record 13 times between 1953 and 1956. He went unbeaten for a five-year period, during which he won Olympic gold twice – in 1952 and 1956. Add to that an Olympic silver in 1960 and the fact that he was a pioneer of the rotating throwing technique, and O’Brien clearly deserves his place in shot put history.
John Godina (USA): Godina is an exceptional athlete - one of the only throwers to compete on the international stage in two separate disciplines (discuss and shot). At Atlanta in 1996, he became the first American since Bud Houser back in 1924 to represent his country at the Olympic Games in the two disciplines. He has enjoyed most success at the shot put, winning gold at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 1995, 1997 and 2001. Alongside Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson, he is one of only three athletes to have won the Jesse Owens Trophy twice, an award made to the best American athlete of the year. Godina is a fervent campaigner in the fight against drug use in shot putting and has become an anti-doping ambassador for the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
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| Vandystadt |
World record holders
Women: Natalya Lisovskaya (USSR) 22.63 metres
Men: Randy Barnes (USA) 23.12 metres
Schedule
Men
23 August 2003: 9am. Qualifying - Groups A and B
7.25pm: Final
Women
27 August 2003: 10.30am. Qualifying - Groups A and B
6.55pm: Final
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