Olympic Sports Profile: The Discus Throw
Discus throwing is one of the oldest Olympic sports and may have had its origins in warfare. It is a very interesting sport which tests an Olympians strength, balance and agility. It is not an easy sport to perfect and athletes spend years training to correctly throw a discus the furthest distance. Olympians of all shapes and sizes try out for this sport but it seems it requires a special skill to correctly stand there, spin a few times and launch the circular object with enough force to make it go flying through the air. Over the years many memorable champions have come and gone and the 2012 Olympic Games in London will see a new breed of talented discus throwers emerge.
The sport of discus throwing goes back to the very beginning of the Olympic Games. When the Games started in 776 BC, the discus throw was one of the very first events that made up the earliest tournaments. In the fifth century a statue was produced that depicted an ancient discus throwing athlete. The original discs were made from bronze and the winner would be given the disc itself as their prize. In the 15th century, ancient Indian warriors used the discus very effectively and turned it into a deadly weapon in battle. This might indicate that discus type objects were used in ancient warfare before they became part of the Olympic Games. As the case is with archery and shooting games, the discus might have been a deadly weapon in olden times.
There is an art to throwing the discus that is taught to all prospective Olympians. The sport is part of all track and field events today in schools and universities all over the world. It is a very popular sport and it has a special technique that allows the circular object to be thrown very far distances. The placement of the feet and the way the discus is held are both very important. The arm that is not holding the discus is extended outward and the throw starts. The athlete spins twice before releasing the discus at full stretch to ensure maximum distance is achieved. This technique is probably not that different from the ancient style because they probably figured out early on how to achieve the longest distance and correct way to throw by the position of their feet and the angle of their arms.
There are certain elements of the sport that are different to others in the Olympics. The circle that is used in the sport is larger than both the hammer throw and the shot put. Six throws per competitor are allowed and the longest throw wins. The sport is also unique because it is the only Olympic sport which has the women’s world record being longer than the men’s. The men’s world record was set in 1986 by Jurgen Schult with a throw of 74.08 metres in 1986 while the women’s world record was set by Gabriele Reinsch with a long throw of 76.80 metres in 1988. The reason for this difference is the fact that men throw a discus which weighs 2 kilograms while the women’s discus weighs 1 kilogram. These two impressive records have not been broken but there are high hopes from the current crop of talented young athletes who will show their skills and talents in two years time in London.
One such young talent is Baillie Gibson, a future American discus star in the making. She currently holds the record for the second longest throw in the country and is looking to shine at the 2012 Olympics. She has been solidly working with her coach who says that the best is yet to come from this talented young athlete. She has perfected the technique and just needs to work on her conditioning and strength if she wants to make a name for herself in the future. With bright stars such as this emerging in the field, that world record looks like it does not stand a chance. It is going to be a very exciting Olympic Games in London in two years time.
The sport of discus throwing has come a long way and has continued to be a very popular Olympic event. Even though it has changed slightly over the years the basics have remained the same and it is one of the most widely watched Olympic sports out there. The sport just needs a face to go along with its popularity and then it will be complete. Whether we will find the next great athlete in the sport of discus we will have to wait and see.
Tags: