Shot putting

The shot put is a regular event at virtually every track and field meeting, and is the only throwing event at indoor athletics competitions, for the obvious reason that the distances thrown are far less than those of the discus, javelin or hammer.

The throwing of heavy objects in competition goes back many centuries, and may even have been practised in prehistoric times. It did not feature in the ancient Olympics, but may have been a warm-up exercise, using stones, for javelin throwers. Stone throwing is a regular sport at Highland Games to this day. Metal shots, in the form of cannon balls, have been used for strength training by soldiers in every army that has used cannons, and the evolution of this practice into a sport was an inevitable process. The shot put has been an event at every modern Summer Olympics and features as one of the disciplines in both the heptathlon (for women) and decathlon (for men).

In modern athletics competition, the shot must be a perfect sphere and with a smooth surface. The minimum shot weight for men is 16 pounds, and for women 8.8 pounds. It can be made of iron, brass, or any metal that is as hard as brass or harder.

The shot must be propelled from within a marked circle with a diameter of seven feet, into a marked sector of 40 degrees width (this has changed from 45 degrees in recent years). At the front of the circle a curved stopboard, four inches high, prevents the athlete’s foot from sliding too far. The rule is that no part of the body, after the put has started, may touch the top of the stopboard or the ground outside the circle.

The competitor must begin the put from a stationary position, so there is no run-up involved as in javelin throwing. Only one hand may be used, which must not drop below its starting position until the put is complete. The shot must not go behind the line of the shoulders, which means that it has to be carried against the side of the head until the moment of release.

Within these rules, the athlete has a choice as to how to deliver the shot. Traditionally, putters have taken several side-steps across the circle, rising from a crouching position to a full extension at release, so that all the muscles of the legs, torso and arm are used to propel the shot in a straight upward line with as much force as possible. This has typically been an event for athletes who, in other respects, appear to be far from athletic, being heavy people whose weight does not comprise muscle alone! However, many successful shot putters in recent years have been lighter and more agile people who have adopted a rotating technique to generate speed as well as strength in the delivery of the shot.

The rules state that the putter may not leave the circle until the shot has hit the ground, after which he or she must leave the circle, on their feet, from behind the line that divides the circle in two at the centre. This rule ensures that the putter is in control of the put throughout, and has not overbalanced. If all the rules have been followed, a judge will raise a white flag and the attempt will be measured, otherwise a red flag will be raised the put declared to be a foul.

Puts are measured from the mark made by the shot as it lands, not from where it finishes, and the point measured is the nearest mark to the putting circle. The distance counted is from the centre of the circle. Measurements are rounded down to the nearest centimetre (quarter of an inch). A put that lands outside the sector is not measured and counts as a foul.

In most competitions, putters are allowed six attempts, and the best distance of each putter is counted. In major competitions there will be a qualifying round of three attempts after which the best eight competitors are allowed three further attempts, with their earlier attempts being carried forward so that a first-round put can count as the eventual winner.

Needless to say, the rules proscribe all forms of illegal substances being taken by shot putters along with all other athletes, although the shot put, being an event where sheer muscle has traditionally been favoured as against speed, has been a target for drugs cheats, with various forms of anabolic steroid being used. In the years of Communist domination of the event at international athletics meetings, prior to 1989, there were many accusations that female shot putters from the Soviet Union and East Germany were in fact men who had had treatment with sex hormones. It is entirely possible that some of these stories were true, especially as several suspected “female” competitors never competed again after compulsory gender testing was introduced.