Discus Throw

The discus throw is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc
called a discusin an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her
competitors. It is an ancient sport. Although not part of the modern pentathlon, it
was one of the events of the ancient Greek pentathlon, which can be dated back to
at least to 708 BC.
Discus is a routine part of most modern track-and-field meets at all levels and is a
sport which is particularly iconic of the Olympic Games. The men's competition has
been a part of the modern Summer Olympic Games since the first Olympiad in
1896.

Equipments used
The discus, the object to be thrown, is a heavy lenticular disc with a weight of 2
kilograms (4.4 lb) and diameter of .219 m (0 ft 812 in) for the men's event, and a
weight of 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) and diameter of .180 m (0 ft 7 in) for the women's
program.
Under IAAF (international) rules, Youth boys (1617 years) throw the 1.5 kilograms
(3.3 lb) discus, the Junior men (1819 years) throw the unique 1.75 kilograms
(3.9 lb) discus, and the girls/women of those ages throw the 1 kg discus.

Techniques
Orthodox

feet should be at least shoulder width apart and preferably more

make sure the feet have a heel to toe relationship in positioning-toes of the front
foot line up with heel of back foot

 keep the heels off the ground

develop a rhythmic movement pattern with the discus
The feet will pivot and move while the discus moves through an arc
feel a transfer of body wt from the right leg to the front leg
The discus edge will be up as the athlete sweeps the discus back
The discus edge levels out as the athlete sweeps the discus forward
keep the arm away from the body and get a full range of motion
use the left arm/hand to hold the discus when the discus is in front of the body
make sure you look into the middle of the sector
rotate the heel of the back leg out when you release-get full range of motion
assume an athletic position and feel that right leg in a flexed position

Discopurt
Establish an Entry position- find comfortable depth with the legs. Feet at least
shoulder width apart
Dont get so low you cant move! Assume an athletic position
Perform the same rhythmic pattern on every entry
Limit your wind-ups.1-3 is plenty!
If right handed thrower, start the spin with the right leg leaving the ground and
weight goes to the left Swing the right foot around and in to the middle of the
circle
Keep the shoulders level and knees should be bent

 Once the left foot touches the ground at the front of the circle, the aim is to drive
the hips forward by pushing with the right foot and blocking with the left
The throwing arm then follows the hip and whips around fast
The discus is released so it spins flat rather than wobbling
Chest and head are both up tall and looking towards where the discus is meant to
be going

Rules
Legal Throw
The discus is thrown from a circle measuring 2.5 meters, or 8.2 feet, in diameter. The circle has a white
rim 6 mm thick. Athletes may touch the inside of the rim only. The athlete must begin each attempt from a
stationary position within the circle. Once the throw is completed the athlete must exit the circle from the
back half.

Throwing Aids
In the discus throw the athlete is permitted to use chalk on both hands and the discus to assist in properly
gripping the implement. There should be no taping of the hand or fingers other than to cover an injury.

Foul Throw
Dropping of the discus outside of the circle during initial swings before the turn and throw results in a foul
attempt. An attempt is considered a foul if the athlete touches the top or outside of the rim during the
throw. If the discus lands on or outside of the sector lines the throw is determined to be foul. The athlete
should not leave the circle until the discus has touched the ground or the attempt will be foul.

Measurement
The measurement of each throw is conducted immediately following the attempt. An attempt is measured
from the nearest mark of the discus to the inside of the circumference of the circle.

Field

Record

men
Mark

Athlete

Date

Location

74.08 m (243 ft 012 in)

Jrgen Schult (GDR)

6 June 1986

Neubrandenburg,EastGerman
y

71.86 m (235 ft 9 in)

Yuriy Dumchev (USSR)

29 May 1983

Moscow

9 August
1978

Berlin

71.16 m (233 ft 512 in)

Wolfgang
Schmidt (GDR)

women
Mark

Athlete

Location

Date

73.36 m (240 ft 8 in)

Irina
Meszynski (GDR)

Prague

17 August
1984[1][4]

74.56 m (244 ft 714 in)

Zdeka
ilhav (TCH)

Nitra, Czechoslovakia

26 August
1984[1][4]

76.80 m (251 ft 1112 in)

Gabriele
Reinsch (GDR)

Neubrandenburg, East
Germany

9 July 1988[1][4]