Shot put at the Olympics

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Shot put
at the Olympic Games
The inaugural shot put in 1896
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 18962020
Women: 19482020
Olympic record
Men23.30 m Ryan Crouser (2021)
Women22.41 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 Ilona Slupianek with a put of 22.41 m (73 ft 6+14 in) in 1980, and the record for the men's event of 23.30 m (76 ft 5+14 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 a stone throw at the 1906 Intercalated Games.

Medalists

Men

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
details
Robert Garrett
 United States
Miltiadis Gouskos
 Greece
Georgios Papasideris
 Greece
1900 Paris
details
Richard Sheldon
 United States
Josiah McCracken
 United States
Robert Garrett
 United States
1904 St. Louis
details
Ralph Rose
 United States
Wesley Coe
 United States
Lawrence Feuerbach
 United States
1908 London
details
Ralph Rose
 United States
Denis Horgan
 Great Britain
John Garrels
 United States
1912 Stockholm
details
Pat McDonald
 United States
Ralph Rose
 United States
Lawrence Whitney
 United States
1920 Antwerp
details
Ville Pörhölä
 Finland
Elmer Niklander
 Finland
Harry Liversedge
 United States
1924 Paris
details
Bud Houser
 United States
Glenn Hartranft
 United States
Ralph Hills
 United States
1928 Amsterdam
details
John Kuck
 United States
Herman Brix
 United States
Emil Hirschfeld
 Germany
1932 Los Angeles
details
Leo Sexton
 United States
Harlow Rothert
 United States
František Douda
 Czechoslovakia
1936 Berlin
details
Hans Woellke
 Germany
Sulo Bärlund
 Finland
Gerhard Stöck
 Germany
1948 London
details
Wilbur Thompson
 United States
Jim Delaney
 United States
Jim Fuchs
 United States
1952 Helsinki
details
Parry O'Brien
 United States
Darrow Hooper
 United States
Jim Fuchs
 United States
1956 Melbourne
details
Parry O'Brien
 United States
Bill Nieder
 United States
Jiří Skobla
 Czechoslovakia
1960 Rome
details
Bill Nieder
 United States
Parry O'Brien
 United States
Dallas Long
 United States
1964 Tokyo
details
Dallas Long
 United States
Randy Matson
 United States
Vilmos Varjú
 Hungary
1968 Mexico City
details
Randy Matson
 United States
George Woods
 United States
Eduard Gushchin
 Soviet Union
1972 Munich
details
Władysław Komar
 Poland
George Woods
 United States
Hartmut Briesenick
 East Germany
1976 Montreal
details
Udo Beyer
 East Germany
Yevgeniy Mironov
 Soviet Union
Aleksandr Baryshnikov
 Soviet Union
1980 Moscow
details
Vladimir Kiselyov
 Soviet Union
Aleksandr Baryshnikov
 Soviet Union
Udo Beyer
 East Germany
1984 Los Angeles
details
Alessandro Andrei
 Italy
Mike Carter
 United States
Dave Laut
 United States
1988 Seoul
details
Ulf Timmermann
 East Germany
Randy Barnes
 United States
Werner Günthör
 Switzerland
1992 Barcelona
details
Mike Stulce
 United States
Jim Doehring
 United States
Vyacheslav Lykho
 Unified Team
1996 Atlanta
details
Randy Barnes
 United States
John Godina
 United States
Oleksandr Bagach
 Ukraine
2000 Sydney
details
Arsi Harju
 Finland
Adam Nelson
 United States
John Godina
 United States
2004 Athens
details
Adam Nelson
 United States
Joachim Olsen
 Denmark
Manuel Martínez
 Spain
2008 Beijing
details
Tomasz Majewski
 Poland
Christian Cantwell
 United States
Dylan Armstrong
 Canada
2012 London
details
Tomasz Majewski
 Poland
David Storl
 Germany
Reese Hoffa
 United States
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Ryan Crouser
 United States
Joe Kovacs
 United States
Tom Walsh
 New Zealand
2020 Tokyo
details
Ryan Crouser
 United States
Joe Kovacs
 United States
Tom Walsh
 New Zealand
2024 Paris
details

Multiple medalists

Rank 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) 19 20 12 51
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
details
Micheline Ostermeyer
 France
Amelia Piccinini
 Italy
Ina Schäffer
 Austria
1952 Helsinki
details
Galina Zybina
 Soviet Union
Marianne Werner
 Germany
Klavdiya Tochenova
 Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne
details
Tamara Tyshkevich
 Soviet Union
Galina Zybina
 Soviet Union
Marianne Werner
 United Team of Germany
1960 Rome
details
Tamara Press
 Soviet Union
Johanna Lüttge
 United Team of Germany
Earlene Brown
 United States
1964 Tokyo
details
Tamara Press
 Soviet Union
Renate Culmberger
 United Team of Germany
Galina Zybina
 Soviet Union
1968 Mexico City
details
Margitta Gummel
 East Germany
Marita Lange
 East Germany
Nadezhda Chizhova
 Soviet Union
1972 Munich
details
Nadezhda Chizhova
 Soviet Union
Margitta Gummel
 East Germany
Ivanka Khristova
 Bulgaria
1976 Montreal
details
Ivanka Khristova
 Bulgaria
Nadezhda Chizhova
 Soviet Union
Helena Fibingerová
 Czechoslovakia
1980 Moscow
details
Ilona Slupianek
 East Germany
Svetlana Krachevskaya
 Soviet Union
Margitta Pufe
 East Germany
1984 Los Angeles
details
Claudia Losch
 West Germany
Mihaela Loghin
 Romania
Gael Martin
 Australia
1988 Seoul
details
Natalya Lisovskaya
 Soviet Union
Kathrin Neimke
 East Germany
Li Meisu
 China
1992 Barcelona
details
Svetlana Krivelyova
 Unified Team
Huang Zhihong
 China
Kathrin Neimke
 Germany
1996 Atlanta
details
Astrid Kumbernuss
 Germany
Sui Xinmei
 China
Irina Khudoroshkina
 Russia
2000 Sydney
details
Yanina Karolchik
 Belarus
Larisa Peleshenko
 Russia
Astrid Kumbernuss
 Germany
2004 Athens
details
Yumileidi Cumbá
 Cuba
Nadine Kleinert
 Germany
Not awarded[1]
2008 Beijing
details
Valerie Vili
 New Zealand
Misleydis González
 Cuba
Gong Lijiao
 China
2012 London
details
Valerie Adams
 New Zealand
Gong Lijiao
 China
Li Ling
 China
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Michelle Carter
 United States
Valerie Adams
 New Zealand
Anita Márton
 Hungary
2020 Tokyo
details
Gong Lijiao
 China
Raven Saunders
 United States
Valerie Adams
 New Zealand
2024 Paris
details

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
details
 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
details
 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
details
 Ralph Rose (USA)  Pat McDonald (USA)  Elmer Niklander (FIN)

References

Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. ^ Athens 2004 Athletics Medalists. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
  2. ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
  3. ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Shot Put. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  4. ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Stone Throw. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  5. ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands Qualifying Round. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  6. ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  7. ^ Elmer Niklander. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.

External links