PARIS, France — Discus throw is one of the premier track and field events held every four years at the Summer Olympics.
In the discus throw, athletes hurl a metal disc-shaped object as far as they can.
Men's discus has been a part of every modern Olympics while women's discus debuted alongside the women's 100m, 800m, 4x100m relay and high jump at the 1928 Amsterdam Games.
Valarie Allman of Colorado is representing the United States in the women's discus final at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
How does discus throw work?
Athletes stand in a circle measuring 8.2 feet in diameter, spin around to build centrifugal force and release the discus.
After release, the discus must land inside a marked sector, and the athlete cannot leave the circle before it has landed. A net surrounds the thrower for safety.
How many types of discus throws are there?
The most common technique used to throw discus is by spinning. Athletes typically take one-and-a-half spins before releasing.
There's no mandatory number of spins.
Glide (back to front of circle) throw techniques are rare, mainly used outside professional competition, and much more common to find in shot put.
Is men's discus heavier than women's discus?
The men use a discus that weighs 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) and is 22 centimeters (8.66 inches) in diameter.
Women use a discus that weighs 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and is 18 centimeters (7.09 inches) in diameter.
What is the all-time discus record?
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania, and competing for the University of California at Berkeley, set the all-time discus throw for men at 74.35 meters (243 feet, 11 inches) at a meet in Oklahoma in 2024.
Gabriele Reinsch of Germany set the all-time discus throw record for women at 76.80 meters (252.0 feet) in 1988.
Why is it called discus throw?
Diskos (δίσκος) is the Greek work for disc.
Discus was part of the ancient Greek pentathlon along with javelin and long jump.
What are the common errors in discus throw?
Common errors in discus include:
- Stepping out of the circle before the discus lands.
- Throwing the discus outside the sector landing area.
- Exiting the circle from the front instead of the back.
