| Athletics Hammer throw | |
|---|---|
 Jack Dalton competing in Nunawading, Victoria | |
| World records | |
| Men | Template:Country data URSScript error: The function "pwarning" does not exist. Yuriy Sedykh Template:T&FcalcR (1986) |
| Women |  Anita Włodarczyk Template:T&FcalcR (2016) |
| Olympic records | |
| Men | Template:Country data URSScript error: The function "pwarning" does not exist. Sergey Litvinov Template:T&FcalcR (1988) |
| Women | Anita Włodarczyk Template:T&FcalcR (2016) |
| World Championship records | |
| Men |  Ethan Katzberg Template:T&FcalcR (2025) |
| Women | Anita Włodarczyk Template:T&FcalcR (2015) |
The hammer throw (Abbreviated as HT[1]) is one of the four throwing events in regular outdoor track-and-field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
The hammer used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consists of a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip. These three components are each separate and can move independently. Both the size and weight of the ball vary between men's and women's events. The men's hammer weighs 7.26 kilograms (16 lb) for college and professional meets; the women's hammer weighs 4 kilograms (8.8 lb).[2]
History[edit | edit source]
Tradition traces it to the Tailteann Games in Tara, Ireland, around the year 1830 BC.[3] Some time later the Celtic warrior Culchulainn reputedly took a chariot axle with a wheel still attached, spun it around and hurled it a long way.[2] The wheel was later replaced by a rock with a wooden handle attached.[2] A sledgehammer began to be used for the sport in Scotland and England during the Middle Ages.[2] In current times, the hammer has changed to the more modern 16 lb. ball attached to a wire and a handle, but the Scottish hammer throw as seen in Highland Games still feature the older style of hammer throw with the rock and the solid wood handle.
While the men's hammer throw has been part of the Olympics since 1900, the International Association of Athletics Federations did not start ratifying women's marks until 1995. Women's hammer throw was first included in the Olympics at the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia, after having been included in the World Championships a year earlier.[citation needed]
Competition[edit | edit source]
The men's hammer weighs 7.26 kilograms (16 lb) and the women's weighs 4 kg (8.8 lb), with the wire in either case no more than 122 centimetres (48 in) in length.[2] Like the other throwing events, the competition is decided by who can throw the implement the farthest.
The throwing motion starts with the thrower swinging the hammer back-and-forth about two times to generate momentum. The thrower then makes three, four or (rarely) five full rotations using a complex heel-toe foot movement, spinning the hammer in a circular path and increasing its angular velocity with each rotation. Rather than spinning the hammer horizontally, it is instead spun in a plane that angles up towards the direction in which it will be launched. The thrower releases the hammer as its velocity is upward and toward the target.[4]
Throws are made from a throwing circle. The thrower is not allowed to step outside the throwing circle before the hammer has landed and may only enter and exit from the rear of the throwing circle. The hammer must land within a 34.92º throwing sector that is centered on the throwing circle. The sector angle was chosen because it provides a sector whose bounds are easy to measure and lay out on a field (10 metres out from the center of the ring, 6 metres across).[2][5] A violation of the rules results in a foul and the throw not being counted.[citation needed]
As of 2025[update] the men's hammer world record is held by Yuriy Sedykh, who threw Template:T&Fcalc at the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, West Germany on 30 August. The world record for the women's hammer is held by Anita Włodarczyk, who threw Template:T&Fcalc during the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial on 28 August 2016.[citation needed] Sedykh's 1986 world record has been noted for its longevity, and for dating from "a time when track and field was starting to realize the scale of performance-enhancing drug use" (AP).[6] According to Russian doping whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, Sedykh was a heavy user of steroids, which Sedykh denied.[6]
The throwing distance depends on the velocity and height at which the hammer is released, but also on other factors that are not under the athlete's control.[7] In particular, Earth's rotation affects it via the location's latitude (due to the centrifugal force, the hammer will fly a bit further in a location closer to the equator) and to a lesser extent also via the throw's azimuth (i.e. its compass direction, due to Coriolis forces).[7] According to a 2023 study, such effects are large enough that the top 20 world-record rankings for both men and women at the time could somewhat change if they were adjusted for latitude and azimuth.[7]
-
The traditional Highland games version of the event -
Thrower inside a hammer cage, with the markings for the throwing circle and the throwing sector visible on the ground -
Scottish hammer throw illustration from Frank R. Stockton's book Round-about Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fancy -
John Flanagan in the hammer throw competition at the Summer Olympics 1908 in London -
The contemporary version of the hammer throw -
Athlete practicing the hammer throw event -
Men's Hammer Throw Final – 28th Summer Universiade
Safety issues[edit | edit source]
Hammer throwing has been described as involving "inherent danger [...]. Athletes, coaches, and spectators participating in the event are at risk; steel hammers [...] are hurled through the air at great speeds, [travel] far distances, and [are] sometimes difficult to spot in flight."[8] For example, hammer throws resulted in four deaths in Europe in 2000 alone,[9] and have caused deaths and permanent brain damage injuries in the United States too.[8]
To mitigate such risks, a C-shaped "hammer cage" was introduced, which is built around the throwing circle, preventing the hammer from flying off in unwanted directions.[8] In 2004, the IAAF changed its rules to increase the mandatory height of hammer cages to 10m and reduce their "danger zone" angle to around 53°.[8] The change also moved the cage gates further away from the throwing circle, thus reducing the risk of a misdirected hammer bouncing back on the thrower.[10]
Area records[edit | edit source]
| Area | Men | Women | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark | Athlete | Mark | Athlete | |
| Africa
(records) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Mostafa Elgamel (EGY) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Anthonett Nabwe (LBR)
|
| Asia
(records) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Koji Murofushi (JPN) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Zhao Jie (CHN)
|
| Europe
(records) |
Template:T&FcalcR WR | Template:Country data URS | Template:T&FcalcR WR | Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
|
| North, Central America and Caribbean (records) |
Template:T&FcalcR | Ethan Katzberg (CAN) |
Template:T&FcalcR | Camryn Rogers (CAN)
|
| Oceania
(records) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Stuart Rendell (AUS) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Lauren Bruce (NZL)
|
| South America
(records) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Wagner Domingos (BRA) |
Template:T&FcalcR |  Jennifer Dahlgren (ARG)
|
All-time top 25[edit | edit source]
| Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 hammer throw marks and the top 25 athletes: |
| - denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 hammer throw marks |
| - denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 hammer throw marks, by repeat athletes |
| - denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 hammer throw marks |
Men[edit | edit source]
- Correct as of September 2025.[13]
Annulled marks[edit | edit source]
- Ivan Tsikhan of Belarus also threw 86.73 in Brest on 3 July 2005. This performance was annulled due to doping offences.
Women[edit | edit source]
- Correct as of April 2026.[18]
Annulled marks[edit | edit source]
The following athletes had their performances (over 77.00 m) annulled due to doping offences:
- Tatyana Lysenko (Russia) 78.80 (2013) and 78.15 (2013).
- Aksana Miankova (Belarus) 78.69 and 78.19 (both 2012).
- Gulfiya Agafonova (Russia) 77.36 (2007).
Olympic medalists[edit | edit source]
Men[edit | edit source]
Women[edit | edit source]
World Championships medalists[edit | edit source]
Men[edit | edit source]
Medal table[edit | edit source]
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Women[edit | edit source]
World leading marks[edit | edit source]
See also[edit | edit source]
Notes and references[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Terms and Abbreviations". World Athletics. September 2020. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Hammer Throw". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ 'Origins'. Hammer Throw, undated. Retrieved 28 January 2025
- ↑ Johannsen, Dana (1 August 2021). "Tokyo 2020: Why the Olympic hammer throw may become a new national obsession". Stuff. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ↑ "Laying Out Sector Angles for the Track and Field Throwing Events" (PDF). USA Track & Field Pacific Northwest. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
The shot, discus, hammer & weight throw sector is 34.92º. This angle was chosen due to its simple geometry.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Yuriy Sedykh, hammer world record holder, dies at 66". AP News. 14 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Horváth, Gábor; Hegedűs, Dénes; Slíz-Balogh, Judit (27 June 2023). "Change of world-record rankings of shot put and hammer throw due to the effects of Earth rotation and athlete's height". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 10409. Bibcode:2023NatSR..1310409H. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-36665-5. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10300113. PMID 37369722. S2CID 259273858.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Academy, U. S. Sports (9 July 2010). "An Analysis of Hammer Throw Facility Safety Factors in NCAA Division I". The Sport Journal. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ↑ "Catastrophic Injuries Pull Focus On Field Event Safety". Athletic Business. 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ↑ Laruel, Benoit; Wilson, Denis; Young, Ray (2004). "Hammer throw safety cages". New Studies in Athletics. 19 (1): 47–51. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ↑ "Men's Hammer Throw | Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Women's Hammer Throw | Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "All-time men's best hammer throw". IAAF. 7 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 July 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Men's Hammer Throw Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 16 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ↑ Phil Minshull (9 August 2015). "Fajdek throws 83.93m in Szczecin". IAAF. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ↑ "Gyulai István Memorial - Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix - Men's Hammer Throw Final". World Athletics. 12 August 2025. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
- ↑ "Results Hammer Throw Men" (PDF). eugene.diamondleague.com. 5 July 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ↑ "All-time women's best hammer throw". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ↑ "Wlodarczyk extends hammer world record in Warsaw". IAAF. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ↑ "Rogers throws North American hammer record of 81.13m in Austin". World Athletics. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ "Women's Hammer Throw Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ↑ Roy Jordan (27 June 2021). "Holloway, Thomas, Benjamin and Price shine on superb day in Eugene". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ↑ "Track Scoreboard". finishedresults.trackscoreboard.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ↑ "Rogers, Thomas and Pathirage break meeting records in Nairobi". World Athletics. 24 April 2026. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Result". trackscoreboard.com. 4 May 2024. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Result" (PDF). Flash Results. 20 April 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ↑ "Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational". World Athletics. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
- ↑ "Allman throws 73.52m North American discus record in Ramona | REPORTS | World Athletics". Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
- ↑ "Throws Invitational Meeting 2". World Athletics. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
- ↑ "Kassanavoid climbs to No.6 all time with 78.00m hammer throw". World Athetlics. 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ↑ Jon Mulkeen (8 June 2018). "Berry and Nowicki topple hammer favourites in Chorzow". IAAF. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
- ↑ "Karalis clears 6.08m in Volos as records fall around the world, athletes target Tokyo". worldathletics. 2 August 2025. Archived from the original on 2 August 2025. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ↑ "Women's Hammer Throw Final". World Athletics. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Qualification Results". World Athletics. 23 August 2023. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ↑ "Hammer Throw Results". World Athletics. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
- ↑ "Women's Hammer Final Results" (PDF). 2017.taipei. 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ 39.0 39.1 2004 Olympic Hammer Throw Medalists. Olympics.com. Retrieved on 2024-04-13.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Engeler, Elaine (10 June 2010). "CAS Reinstates Medals for Hammer Throwers". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
External links[edit | edit source]
- IAAF list of hammer-throw records in XML Archived 13 June 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- HammerThrow.org Archived 4 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine (information about the event, coaching tips and resources)
- Statistics Archived 10 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Hammer Throw History (archived)
- World Athletics Hammer Throw Archived 26 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine