Archaeological excavations of ancient civilizations often came across stone and bronze disks weighing from two to six kilograms, 21-34 centimeters in circumference. Moreover, these products were smoothly honed and were in the area of ancient places where competitions were held. And as soon as the modern Olympic Games began to be held in 1896, this sport - discus throwing - immediately entered a separate program for men in athletics and also in all-around. To prevent women from throwing dishes at home, in 1928 they were allowed to compete in throwing a plate-like athletic projectile in stadiums. The sculpture of the discus ball, which was fashioned by the famous ancient Greek architect Miron in the fifth century BC, is one of the oldest symbols of the Olympiads.
Discus rules
There are certain rules in this sport. In ancient times, the disc was thrown from a hill (mountains), and now on a flat, flat area. The disc weighs differently in competitions. For men - 2 kilograms, for junior and youthful ages - 1.75 and 1.5 kg, respectively (the permissible circumference is from 219 to 221 millimeters). For women, juniors and girls, the disc is always the same weight - 1 kilogram, 180-182 mm in circumference.
Features of the discus throw competition
Due to the difference in the weight of the projectile, women fling their disc a little further. The competition takes place in a fenced sector (gate 6 meters wide, departure angle 34.92 degrees, lines are drawn in the field). The athlete tosses from a circle of 250 centimeters in diameter. It is allowed to touch the boom gate, but the projectile should not land outside the drawn sector. The execution technique requires a lot of strength, coordination and speed. Therefore, due to such difficulties in this form, there are no young world champions. Here you need to combine all your skills with weather phenomena. For example, the headwind in this sport is not just an obstacle, but an assistant, if you can choose the right angle of departure of the disk (fluctuation within 36-38 gr.).
World records
The first world record in discus throw was set by the Olympic champion - American Robert Garrett. His compatriot Al Orter, who was a four-time Olympic champion in 1956-1968, also became famous. The fifth time, he was not lucky due to a political boycott and the refusal of the United States to speak at the next Olympics.
Our legendary compatriot - Yuri Dumchev - set in 1983 a world record in discus throwing - 71 meters 86 centimeters. This unique hero with a height of 2 meters and a weight of 128 kilograms also pushed the core, starred in multiple films, the magazine "Jumble" and was a member of the club of experts "What? Where? When?".
Interestingly, how many meters is the world record for discus throwing today? Nevertheless, Dumchev managed to beat the German athlete Jürgen Schult in 1986 (74 meters 8 centimeters). The Olympic record belongs to Virgilius Alekne from Lithuania - 69.89 meters, set in 2004 in Athens (Greece).
Women's World Records
The world record for throwing discs in women belongs to the German athlete - Gabriele Reins. She installed it in her homeland in 1988 - 76 meters 80 centimeters. The Olympic best achievement in Seoul (Korea) was established by her fellow countrywoman Martina Hellman - 72.30 meters.
An outstanding athlete of the USSR, Tamara Press, was the Olympic champion in discus throwing in 1964 and twice won Olympic competitions in shot put in the years 1960-64, this is a unique case. Our modern throwers in this discipline are the Belarusian athlete Ellina Zvereva (she was twice the world champion in 1995 and 2001, the bronze medalist of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta (USA) and the champion of the 2000 in Sydney) and the Russian woman Sadova (Koptyukh) Natalia silver in Atlanta and took gold in discus throw at the Athens Olympics.