Shot put at the Olympics
Shot put at the Olympic Games | |
---|---|
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 | Ryan Crouser (USA) |
Women | Gong Lijiao (CHN) |
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 United States |
Miltiadis Gouskos Greece |
Georgios Papasideris Greece |
1900 Paris |
Richard Sheldon United States |
Josiah McCracken United States |
Robert Garrett United States |
1904 St. Louis |
Ralph Rose United States |
Wesley Coe United States |
Lawrence Feuerbach United States |
1908 London |
Ralph Rose United States |
Denis Horgan Great Britain |
John Garrels United States |
1912 Stockholm |
Pat McDonald United States |
Ralph Rose United States |
Lawrence Whitney United States |
1920 Antwerp |
Ville Pörhölä Finland |
Elmer Niklander Finland |
Harry Liversedge United States |
1924 Paris |
Bud Houser United States |
Glenn Hartranft United States |
Ralph Hills United States |
1928 Amsterdam |
John Kuck United States |
Herman Brix United States |
Emil Hirschfeld Germany |
1932 Los Angeles |
Leo Sexton United States |
Harlow Rothert United States |
František Douda Czechoslovakia |
1936 Berlin |
Hans Woellke Germany |
Sulo Bärlund Finland |
Gerhard Stöck Germany |
1948 London |
Wilbur Thompson United States |
Jim Delaney United States |
Jim Fuchs United States |
1952 Helsinki |
Parry O'Brien United States |
Darrow Hooper United States |
Jim Fuchs United States |
1956 Melbourne |
Parry O'Brien United States |
Bill Nieder United States |
Jiří Skobla Czechoslovakia |
1960 Rome |
Bill Nieder United States |
Parry O'Brien United States |
Dallas Long United States |
1964 Tokyo |
Dallas Long United States |
Randy Matson United States |
Vilmos Varjú Hungary |
1968 Mexico City |
Randy Matson United States |
George Woods United States |
Eduard Gushchin Soviet Union |
1972 Munich |
Władysław Komar Poland |
George Woods United States |
Hartmut Briesenick East Germany |
1976 Montreal |
Udo Beyer East Germany |
Yevgeniy Mironov Soviet Union |
Aleksandr Baryshnikov Soviet Union |
1980 Moscow |
Vladimir Kiselyov Soviet Union |
Aleksandr Baryshnikov Soviet Union |
Udo Beyer East Germany |
1984 Los Angeles |
Alessandro Andrei Italy |
Mike Carter United States |
Dave Laut United States |
1988 Seoul |
Ulf Timmermann East Germany |
Randy Barnes United States |
Werner Günthör Switzerland |
1992 Barcelona |
Mike Stulce United States |
Jim Doehring United States |
Vyacheslav Lykho Unified Team |
1996 Atlanta |
Randy Barnes United States |
John Godina United States |
Oleksandr Bagach Ukraine |
2000 Sydney |
Arsi Harju Finland |
Adam Nelson United States |
John Godina United States |
2004 Athens |
Adam Nelson United States |
Joachim Olsen Denmark |
Manuel Martínez Spain |
2008 Beijing |
Tomasz Majewski Poland |
Christian Cantwell United States |
Dylan Armstrong Canada |
2012 London |
Tomasz Majewski Poland |
David Storl Germany |
Reese Hoffa United States |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Ryan Crouser United States |
Joe Kovacs United States |
Tom Walsh New Zealand |
2020 Tokyo |
Ryan Crouser United States |
Joe Kovacs United States |
Tom Walsh New Zealand |
Multiple medalists[]
Rankloda | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ralph Rose | United States (USA) | 1904–1912 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
Parry O'Brien | United States (USA) | 1952–1960 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
3 | Ryan Crouser | United States (USA) | 2016-2020 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Tomasz Majewski | Poland (POL) | 2008–2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
5 | Bill Nieder | United States (USA) | 1956–1960 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Randy Matson | United States (USA) | 1964–1968 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Randy Barnes | United States (USA) | 1988–1996 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
Adam Nelson | United States (USA) | 2000–2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
9 | Robert Garrett | United States (USA) | 1896–1900 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Dallas Long | United States (USA) | 1960–1964 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
Udo Beyer | East Germany (GDR) | 1976–1980 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
12 | Joe Kovacs | United States (USA) | 2016-2020 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
George Woods | United States (USA) | 1968��1972 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
14 | Aleksandr Baryshnikov | Soviet Union (URS) | 1976–1980 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
John Godina | United States (USA) | 1996–2000 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
16 | Tom Walsh | New Zealand (NZL) | 2016-2020 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Jim Fuchs | United States (USA) | 1948–1952 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Medalists by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United States (USA) | 18 | 20 | 12 | 50 |
2 | Poland (POL) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
3 | Finland (FIN) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
4 | East Germany (GDR) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
5 | Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
6 | Germany (GER) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
7 | Italy (ITA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
8 | Greece (GRE) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
9= | Denmark (DEN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
9= | Great Britain (GBR) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
12= | Belarus (BLR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | New Zealand (NZL) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | Spain (ESP) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | Switzerland (SUI) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | Ukraine (UKR) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
12= | Unified Team (EUN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Women[]
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
---|---|---|---|
1948 London |
Micheline Ostermeyer France |
Amelia Piccinini Italy |
Ina Schäffer Austria |
1952 Helsinki |
Galina Zybina Soviet Union |
Marianne Werner Germany |
Klavdiya Tochenova Soviet Union |
1956 Melbourne |
Tamara Tyshkevich Soviet Union |
Galina Zybina Soviet Union |
Marianne Werner United Team of Germany |
1960 Rome |
Tamara Press Soviet Union |
Johanna Lüttge United Team of Germany |
Earlene Brown United States |
1964 Tokyo |
Tamara Press Soviet Union |
Renate Culmberger United Team of Germany |
Galina Zybina Soviet Union |
1968 Mexico City |
Margitta Gummel East Germany |
Marita Lange East Germany |
Nadezhda Chizhova Soviet Union |
1972 Munich |
Nadezhda Chizhova Soviet Union |
Margitta Gummel East Germany |
Ivanka Khristova Bulgaria |
1976 Montreal |
Ivanka Khristova Bulgaria |
Nadezhda Chizhova Soviet Union |
Helena Fibingerová Czechoslovakia |
1980 Moscow |
Ilona Slupianek East Germany |
Svetlana Krachevskaya Soviet Union |
Margitta Pufe East Germany |
1984 Los Angeles |
Claudia Losch West Germany |
Mihaela Loghin Romania |
Gael Martin Australia |
1988 Seoul |
Natalya Lisovskaya Soviet Union |
Kathrin Neimke East Germany |
Li Meisu China |
1992 Barcelona |
Svetlana Krivelyova Unified Team |
Huang Zhihong China |
Kathrin Neimke Germany |
1996 Atlanta |
Astrid Kumbernuss Germany |
Sui Xinmei China |
Irina Khudoroshkina Russia |
2000 Sydney |
Yanina Karolchik Belarus |
Larisa Peleshenko Russia |
Astrid Kumbernuss Germany |
2004 Athens |
Yumileidi Cumbá Cuba |
Nadine Kleinert Germany |
Not awarded[1] |
2008 Beijing |
Valerie Vili New Zealand |
Misleydis González Cuba |
Gong Lijiao China |
2012 London |
Valerie Adams New Zealand |
Gong Lijiao China |
Li Ling China |
2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Michelle Carter United States |
Valerie Adams New Zealand |
Anita Márton Hungary |
2020 Tokyo |
Gong Lijiao China |
Raven Saunders United States |
Valerie Adams New Zealand |
Multiple medalists[]
Rank | Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Valerie Adams | New Zealand (NZL) | 2008–2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
2 | Tamara Press | Soviet Union (URS) | 1960–1964 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
3= | Galina Zybina | Soviet Union (URS) | 1952–1964 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
3= | Nadezhda Chizhova | Soviet Union (URS) | 1968–1976 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5 | Margitta Gummel | East Germany (GDR) | 1968–1972 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
6= | Ivanka Khristova | Bulgaria (BUL) | 1972–1976 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
6= | Astrid Kumbernuss | Germany (GER) | 1996–2000 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
8= | Marianne Werner | Germany (GER) | 1952–1956 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
8= | Kathrin Neimke | East Germany (GDR) Germany (GER) |
1988–1992 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Medalists by country[]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union (URS) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
2 | East Germany (GDR) | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
3 | New Zealand (NZL) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
4 | Belarus (BLR) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
5= | Bulgaria (BUL) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
5= | United States (USA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
7= | Cuba (CUB) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | France (FRA) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | Unified Team (EUN) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
7= | West Germany (FRG) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
11 | Germany (GER)[nb] | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
12 | China (CHN) | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
13 | Russia (RUS) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
14= | Italy (ITA) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
14= | Romania (ROM) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
16= | Australia (AUS) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
16= | Austria (AUT) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
16= | Czechoslovakia (TCH) | 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 |
Martin Sheridan (USA) | Mihály Dávid (HUN) | Eric Lemming (SWE) |
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 |
Nikolaos Georgantas (GRE) | Martin Sheridan (USA) | Mikhail Dorizas (GRE) |
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 |
Ralph Rose (USA) | Pat McDonald (USA) | Elmer Niklander (FIN) |
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