Shot put at the Olympics
Shot put at the Olympic Games | |
---|---|
![]() The inaugural shot put in 1896 | |
Overview | |
Sport | Athletics |
Gender | Men and women |
Years held | Men: 1896 – 2016 Women: 1948 – 2016 |
Olympic record | |
Men | 23.30m Ryan Crouser (2021) |
Women | 22.41 m Ilona Slupianek (1980) |
Reigning champion | |
Men | ![]() |
Women | ![]() |
The shot put at the Summer Olympics is one of four track and field throwing events held at the multi-sport event. The men's shot put has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896 (one of two throws events at the first Olympics, alongside the discus). The women's event was added to the programme at the 1948 Olympics just over fifty years later.
The Olympic record for the women's event was set by the East German athlete Ilona Slupianek with a put of 22.41 m (73 ft 6+1⁄4 in) in 1980, and the record for the men's event of 23.30 m (76 ft 5+1⁄4 in) was set by the American Ryan Crouser in 2021.
Two variations on the event have been contested at the Olympics: a two-handed competition at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, with athletes using both left and right arm putting techniques, and at the 1906 Intercalated Games.
Medalists[]
Men[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1896 Athens |
Robert Garrett![]() |
Miltiadis Gouskos![]() |
Georgios Papasideris![]() |
1900 Paris |
Richard Sheldon![]() |
Josiah McCracken![]() |
Robert Garrett![]() |
1904 St. Louis |
Ralph Rose![]() |
Wesley Coe![]() |
Lawrence Feuerbach![]() |
1908 London |
Ralph Rose![]() |
Denis Horgan![]() |
John Garrels![]() |
1912 Stockholm |
Pat McDonald![]() |
Ralph Rose![]() |
Lawrence Whitney![]() |
1920 Antwerp |
Ville Pörhölä![]() |
Elmer Niklander![]() |
Harry Liversedge![]() |
1924 Paris |
Bud Houser![]() |
Glenn Hartranft![]() |
Ralph Hills![]() |
1928 Amsterdam |
John Kuck![]() |
Herman Brix![]() |
Emil Hirschfeld![]() |
1932 Los Angeles |
Leo Sexton![]() |
Harlow Rothert![]() |
František Douda![]() |
1936 Berlin |
Hans Woellke![]() |
Sulo Bärlund![]() |
Gerhard Stöck![]() |
1948 London |
Wilbur Thompson![]() |
Jim Delaney![]() |
Jim Fuchs![]() |
1952 Helsinki |
Parry O'Brien![]() |
Darrow Hooper![]() |
Jim Fuchs![]() |
1956 Melbourne |
Parry O'Brien![]() |
Bill Nieder![]() |
Jiří Skobla![]() |
1960 Rome |
Bill Nieder![]() |
Parry O'Brien![]() |
Dallas Long![]() |
1964 Tokyo |
Dallas Long![]() |
Randy Matson![]() |
Vilmos Varjú![]() |
1968 Mexico City |
Randy Matson![]() |
George Woods![]() |
Eduard Gushchin![]() |
1972 Munich |
Władysław Komar![]() |
George Woods![]() |
Hartmut Briesenick![]() |
1976 Montreal |
Udo Beyer![]() |
Yevgeniy Mironov![]() |
Aleksandr Baryshnikov![]() |
1980 Moscow |
Vladimir Kiselyov![]() |
Aleksandr Baryshnikov![]() |
Udo Beyer![]() |
1984 Los Angeles |
Alessandro Andrei![]() |
Mike Carter![]() |
Dave Laut![]() |
1988 Seoul |
Ulf Timmermann![]() |
Randy Barnes![]() |
Werner Günthör![]() |
1992 Barcelona |
Mike Stulce![]() |
Jim Doehring![]() |
Vyacheslav Lykho![]() |
1996 Atlanta |
Randy Barnes![]() |
John Godina![]() |
Oleksandr Bagach![]() |
2000 Sydney |
Arsi Harju![]() |
Adam Nelson![]() |
John Godina![]() |
2004 Athens |
Adam Nelson![]() |
Joachim Olsen![]() |
Manuel Martínez![]() |
2008 Beijing |
Tomasz Majewski![]() |
Christian Cantwell![]() |
Dylan Armstrong![]() |
2012 London |
Tomasz Majewski![]() |
David Storl![]() |
Reese Hoffa![]() |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Ryan Crouser![]() |
Joe Kovacs![]() |
Tom Walsh![]() |
2020 Tokyo |
Ryan Crouser![]() |
Joe Kovacs![]() |
Tom Walsh![]() |
Multiple medalists[]
Rankloda | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ralph Rose | ![]() |
1904–1912 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Parry O'Brien | ![]() |
1952–1960 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
3 | Ryan Crouser | ![]() |
2016-2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Tomasz Majewski | ![]() |
2008–2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
5 | Bill Nieder | ![]() |
1956–1960 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Randy Matson | ![]() |
1964–1968 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Randy Barnes | ![]() |
1988–1996 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Adam Nelson | ![]() |
2000–2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
9 | Robert Garrett | ![]() |
1896–1900 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Dallas Long | ![]() |
1960–1964 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
Udo Beyer | ![]() |
1976–1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
12 | Joe Kovacs | ![]() |
2016-2020 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
George Woods | ![]() |
1968��1972 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
14 | Aleksandr Baryshnikov | ![]() |
1976–1980 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
John Godina | ![]() |
1996–2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
16 | Tom Walsh | ![]() |
2016-2020 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Jim Fuchs | ![]() |
1948–1952 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Medalists by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
18 | 20 | 12 | 50 |
2 | ![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
3 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
4 | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
5 | ![]() |
1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
6 | ![]() |
1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
7 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
8 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
9= | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
9= | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
11 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Women[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1948 London |
Micheline Ostermeyer![]() |
Amelia Piccinini![]() |
Ina Schäffer![]() |
1952 Helsinki |
Galina Zybina![]() |
Marianne Werner![]() |
Klavdiya Tochenova![]() |
1956 Melbourne |
Tamara Tyshkevich![]() |
Galina Zybina![]() |
Marianne Werner![]() |
1960 Rome |
Tamara Press![]() |
Johanna Lüttge![]() |
Earlene Brown![]() |
1964 Tokyo |
Tamara Press![]() |
Renate Culmberger![]() |
Galina Zybina![]() |
1968 Mexico City |
Margitta Gummel![]() |
Marita Lange![]() |
Nadezhda Chizhova![]() |
1972 Munich |
Nadezhda Chizhova![]() |
Margitta Gummel![]() |
Ivanka Khristova![]() |
1976 Montreal |
Ivanka Khristova![]() |
Nadezhda Chizhova![]() |
Helena Fibingerová![]() |
1980 Moscow |
Ilona Slupianek![]() |
Svetlana Krachevskaya![]() |
Margitta Pufe![]() |
1984 Los Angeles |
Claudia Losch![]() |
Mihaela Loghin![]() |
Gael Martin![]() |
1988 Seoul |
Natalya Lisovskaya![]() |
Kathrin Neimke![]() |
Li Meisu![]() |
1992 Barcelona |
Svetlana Krivelyova![]() |
Huang Zhihong![]() |
Kathrin Neimke![]() |
1996 Atlanta |
Astrid Kumbernuss![]() |
Sui Xinmei![]() |
Irina Khudoroshkina![]() |
2000 Sydney |
Yanina Karolchik![]() |
Larisa Peleshenko![]() |
Astrid Kumbernuss![]() |
2004 Athens |
Yumileidi Cumbá![]() |
Nadine Kleinert![]() |
Not awarded[1] |
2008 Beijing |
Valerie Vili![]() |
Misleydis González![]() |
Gong Lijiao![]() |
2012 London |
Valerie Adams![]() |
Gong Lijiao![]() |
Li Ling![]() |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Michelle Carter![]() |
Valerie Adams![]() |
Anita Márton![]() |
2020 Tokyo |
Gong Lijiao![]() |
Raven Saunders![]() |
Valerie Adams![]() |
Multiple medalists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Valerie Adams | ![]() |
2008–2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
2 | Tamara Press | ![]() |
1960–1964 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
3= | Galina Zybina | ![]() |
1952–1964 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
3= | Nadezhda Chizhova | ![]() |
1968–1976 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Margitta Gummel | ![]() |
1968–1972 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
6= | Ivanka Khristova | ![]() |
1972–1976 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
6= | Astrid Kumbernuss | ![]() |
1996–2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
8= | Marianne Werner | ![]() |
1952–1956 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
8= | Kathrin Neimke | ![]() ![]() |
1988–1992 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Medalists by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
2 | ![]() |
2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
3 | ![]() |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
4 | ![]() |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5= | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
5= | ![]() |
1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
7= | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
11 | ![]() |
0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
12 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
13 | ![]() |
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
14= | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
16= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
16= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
16= | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
- nb The German total includes teams both competing as Germany and the United Team of Germany, but not East or West Germany.
Intercalated Games[]
The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[2]
At this event a men's shot put was held and Martin Sheridan of the United States won the competition. Hungary's Mihály Dávid was the runner-up while Swedish thrower Eric Lemming was the bronze medalist.[3]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1906 Athens |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
A stone throw event, similar to the shot put, was also contested for the first and only time at an Olympic event. Athletes were allowed to throw rather than put the implement, which weighed 14 pounds (6.35 kg). Nikolaos Georgantas won the event for the host nation, while Sheridan (filling in for his absent team mate, Jim Mitchel) placed second. Another Greek, Mikhail Dorizas, came third.[4]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1906 Athens |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Two-handed shot put[]
At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics a two-handed variant of the standard shot put competition took place. Each athlete had three attempts at the shot using each hand and their score was calculated by adding their best performances for the left and right hands. It featured two rounds, with the top three after the first round receiving a further three attempts with each arm.[5]
Ralph Rose, a two-time Olympic champion in the standard shot put, topped the competition. Pat McDonald, who defeated Rose in the 1912 regular shot put final, took the silver medal.[6] Elmer Niklander of Finland came third and went on to place in the top four of all the Olympic shot put and discus events that year.[7]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1912 Athens |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
References[]
- Participation and athlete data
- Athletics Men's Shot Put Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- Athletics Women's Shot Put Medalists. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- Olympic record progressions
- Mallon, Bill (2012). TRACK & FIELD ATHLETICS - OLYMPIC RECORD PROGRESSIONS. Track and Field News. Retrieved on 2014-03-12.
- Specific
- ^ Athens 2004 Athletics Medalists. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
- ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
- ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Shot Put. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Stone Throw. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands Qualifying Round. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
- ^ Elmer Niklander. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
External links[]
- IAAF shot put homepage
- Official Olympics website
- Olympic athletics records from Track & Field News
- Shot put at the Olympics
- Shot put
- Athletics events at the Olympics