A throwing Olympic field event in which athletes spin and release a heavy metal ball attached to a wire for distance.
Origin and rules
The hammer throw evolved from Highland Games competitions in Scotland and Ireland, where competitors threw a blacksmith’s hammer. The modern version uses a wire-attached ball and was added to the Olympics in 1900 for men and 2000 for women.
How it plays
Athletes stand in a 2.135-metre circle protected by a safety cage. They perform several rotations of the hammer overhead, then build into full-body spins before releasing into a sector. The longest legal throw across six attempts wins.
Competition
The World Athletics Championships and the Olympic Games are the leading events. Yuriy Sedykh holds the men’s world record of 86.74 metres from 1986. Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland holds the women’s world record of 82.98 metres from 2016.
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Hammer Throw starts with H and ends with W. Browse other sports along the same letter.
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