Shot put

Shot put is a specialized track and field event focused on "putting" a heavy spherical ball, known as the shot, as far as possible. Unlike a throw, a put requires the athlete to push the implement from the neck. This sport is a core component of many combined athletic events. These include the decathlon for men and the heptathlon and pentathlon for women. Men have competed in the modern Olympic Games since their revival in 1896. Women's Olympic competition began later, in 1948.

To execute a legal throw, athletes must follow strict technical rules. The athlete begins by entering a marked throwing circle. They have exactly one minute to start their throwing motion. The shot must be held close to the neck and remain tight against it throughout the entire movement. The athlete must release the shot with one hand at a height above the shoulder. During the movement, the shot cannot drop below the shoulder or fall outside the vertical plane of the shoulder.

Control within the throwing area is also strictly regulated. Athletes may touch the inside surface of the circle or the toe board, which is a raised stop board at the front. However, they must not touch the top of the toe board, the top of the iron ring, or the ground outside the circle. The shot must land within a specific throwing sector. This sector is a circular area with an angle of 34.92 degrees. This specific angle was chosen because its bounds are easy to measure on a field.

History suggests that heavy object throwing has deep roots. The ancient Greek poet Homer mentioned soldiers throwing rocks during the siege of Troy. While there is no record of weights in Greek competitions, the first evidence for stone-throwing events comes from the Scottish Highlands around the first century. In the 16th century, King Henry VIII was known for his skill in weight and hammer throwing. Some believe the modern sport began when soldiers competed by hurling cannonballs during the Middle Ages. Formal shot put competitions were first recorded in Scotland in the early 19th century.

Athletes generally use one of two primary putting styles: the glide or the spin. The glide is a linear movement invented by Parry O'Brien in 1951. A right-handed thrower starts facing the rear of the circle in a crouch. They push off with the right leg to glide across the circle, twisting their hips and shoulders to strike the shot. The spin, or rotational technique, was practiced in Europe in the 1950s but gained prominence in the 1970s. It uses rotational momentum, similar to a discus thrower, to build power.

The spin technique relies on building high rotational speed and torque. An athlete spins on the ball of one foot to turn toward the front of the circle. By twisting the upper body, they create an elasticity in the muscles that provides extra momentum. Aleksandr Baryshnikov used a version of this style to set a USSR record and become the first person to break the 22-meter mark. While many top men use the spin, the glide is still popular because it offers greater consistency.

Different materials are used to manufacture the shot depending on the competition. Common materials include iron, cast iron, solid steel, stainless steel, brass, and even synthetic polyvinyl. Because different metals have different densities, the size of the shot can vary. In open competitions, the men's shot and women's shot have specific regulated weights. For example, the current men's outdoor world record holder, Ryan Crouser, set a mark of 27.33 meters in Los Angeles in 2023.