DISCUS THROW HISTORY

Discus throwing was part of the first Olympics held in 776 B.C. The early discs were
made of unwrought bronze and iron and the Discs were given to the winner. In the
8th century BC, Greek poet Homer made references to discus throwing.

In the 5th century BC, sculptor Myron produced a statue of a discus thrower
(Discobolus). In the 15th century, Indian soldiers used a lethal throwing Disc
weapon called a Chacarani.

In the 1896 Summer Olympics, the mens discus throw was one of two throwing
events. Countries such as Finland, Russia and Germany have proven strong in
Discus Throwing.

EQUIPMENT

The discus, the object to be thrown, is a heavy lenticular disc with a weight of 2 kilograms(4 lb 7 oz) and
diameter of 220 mm (8.66 inches) for the men's event, and a weight of 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) and diameter of
181 mm (7.17 inches) for the women's event. In U.S. high school track and field, boys typically throw a
discus weighing 1.616 kg (3 lb 9 oz) and the girls throw the 1 kg (2.2 lb) women's discus. The discus can
be thrown starting at age 11 (midget division). Most children throw the 1 kg discus. The discus usually has
sides made of rubber, plastic, wood, or metal with a metal rim and a metal core to attain the weight. A
discus with more weight in the rim produces greater angular momentum for any given spin rate, and thus
more stability, although it is more difficult to throw. A practice discus made of solid rubber is often used in
high school; it is cheaper, more durable, and easier to learn to throw (due to its more equal distribution of
weight, as opposed to the heavy rim weight of the metal rim/core discus).

RULES
A "Chin - Knee - Toe" Position at the Rear of the Circle?
As an athlete and a Discus coach I first came across this statement with respect to
the standing throw or "Power Position" in the Discus throw.
However in the Discus throw itself athletes move into power or double support
positions that inclined such that there is no line up of their chin to the right knee
and their right toe.
However off the back of the circle this position is a useful coaching cue to
encourage the Discus thrower to move their weight over their left leg.
This is important as it creates an axis of rotation around which the right hand side of
the body (especially the right leg and hip) can work.
The Left Foot Turns on the Inside of the Ball.
Turning on the inside of the ball of the foot (the inside being the part of the ball of
the foot nearest the inside of the athletes right leg) is important for two reasons.
One reason that turning on the outside of the ball of the foot tends to put greater
stress on the ankle joint itself with the position also easier to fall into the circle
being off balance throughout the Discus throw.
Secondly, in my experience, turning on the inside of the ball of the foot tends to
offer a better turning base and also tracks the left knee over the left toe more
efficiently.
So How Can I Develop These Technical Cues?
Hopefully it will be clear the elements of Discus technique that need to be
demonstrated at the back of the circle and how these corrections can prevent
discus throwing faults later in the throw.
One of the simplest methods to deal with back of the circle issues is to use Discus
drills such as 90 and 180 degree Discus drills.

The 90 Degree Discus Drill breaks down the pattern of the movement so the coach
can address the initial elements in the wind up and coaching cues when the athlete
begins the turn without utilising the full Discus technique.
Tapping the Right foot means that in order to do this the Discus thrower has to
maintain their bodyweight over their Left foot and hip, maintaining their axis of
rotation.
In my experience this is very useful as it allows Discus throwers to feel the position
for longer and also has some benefit in building specific strength in the Left leg.

The 180 degree Discus Drill is an advancement on working through 90 degrees and
more closely resembles the Discus throw itself.
Because the athlete turns through a longer period of time greater momentum and
speed can be developed and therefore it increases the demand on the Discus
thrower performing the drill.
The Discus coach must be vigilant that coaching cues are perfected in this drill and
those positions improved in the 90 degree drill are not lost.
Always keep in mind as a coach that practice does not make perfect it
makes PERMANENT.
If a drill is not done correctly then all the athlete will become good at is doing the
movement wrong extremely well!

As Discus coaches we are driven by the process of making our athletes better. This
includes moving our athletes toward more efficient expressions of Discus technique.
However, in developing our changes we must be mindful of how mechanics plays a
role in our development of a model of Discus tecnique and that often technical
issues in one part of the Discus throw can create technical faults in another.
I hope that the Discus drills and coaching cues presented will support your own
coaching experience and scientific knowledge of the Discus throw and therefore
support the process of improvement in your athletes.

PROCEDURE

Discus: To begin with, the body of the discus could be made either of wood or other suitable material,
having a circular edge with a metal rim. In addition to this, it could solid or hollow. It should weigh around
2 kg and have a diameter of 22 cm (for men). For women the weight is 1 kg and the diameter is 18 cm.
The cross section of the edge should have a radius of 6mm and it should be a proper circle. The sides of
the discuss shall be identical, sans any sharp edges, irregularities and protrusion. The sides should taper
in a straight line from the point where the curve of the rim starts to a circle which has a radius of 25 mm to
28.5 mm, from the mid point of the discus. Finally, the finishing of the discus has to be smooth.

Discus Cage: The cage or the enclosure should be prepared and maintained in a way so that it can
arrest the flight of a discus weighing 2 kg at a speed of around 25 meters per second. Further, there
should be no threat to the athlete, of the discus ricocheting or rebounding towards him or her. The shape
of the cage according to the rules has to be a 'U'. The width of the mouth of the cage has to be 6mtrs and
around 7mtrs in front of the middle of the throwing circle. The end points of this mouth would serve as the
inner edge of the cage netting. Now the height of the netting panels or draped netting at the lowest point
has to be a minimum 4mtrs. This netting can be made from natural or synthetic fiber and also from mild or
high tensile steel wire. This is very important when it comes to discus throw rules.

The Throw: The discus can be thrown by an athlete after he or she stands in a circle which has a
diameter of 2.5 meter. While the athletes attempt the throw, they cannot touch the top of the rim.
However, they can touch the inner part of the rim of the circle during the throw. An athlete is not permitted
to touch the ground outside the stipulated circle during the throw. Furthermore, prior to the disk hitting the
ground, the athlete cannot go out of the circle. If he or she does that, it is considered as a foul when it
comes to rules and regulations of the discus throw. In Olympics, each of the athletes is given 8 chances
to throw and the best of them is recorded to determine the result. Another important point is that if the disc
ends up outside the landing area, the throw would not be held valid.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE
Twelve competitors qualify for the Olympic discus throw final. In the 2004 Games, 39 men and
42 women participated in their respective qualification rounds prior to the final. The results from
the qualification rounds do not carry over into the final.

As in all throwing events, the 12 finalists have three attempts apiece, then the top eight
competitors receive three more attempts. The longest single throw during the final wins.

Track and field is one of the sports which (along with road running, DISCUS THROW cross-country
running and race walking) makes up the umbrella sport of athletics. It is under the banner of athletics that
the two most prestigious international track field competitions are held: the Athletics competition at the
Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The International Association of
Athletics Federations is the international governing body for track and field.

ACHIEVERS AND RECORD HOLDERS

Men

Mark Athlete Venue Date

74.08 m (243 ft 0.5) Jürgen Schult (GDR) Neubrandenburg June 6, 1986

73.88 m (242 ft
Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) Kaunas August 3, 2000
4.6999999999998)

73.38 m (240 ft 9) Gerd Kanter (EST) Helsingborg September 4, 2006

71.86 m (235 ft
Yuriy Dumchev (URS) Moscow May 29, 1983
9.0999999999999)

71.70 m (235 ft
Róbert Fazekas (HUN) Szombathely July 14, 2002
2.8000000000002)

71.50 m (234 ft 7) Lars Riedel (GER) Wiesbaden May 3, 1997

71.32 m (233 ft 11.9) Ben Plucknett (USA) Eugene June 4, 1983

71.26 m (233 ft 9.5) John Powell (USA) San Jose June 9, 1984

November 15,
71.26 m (233 ft 9.5) Rickard Bruch (SWE) Malmö
1984

71.26 m (233 ft 9.5) Imrich Bugár (TCH) San José, CA May 25, 1985

BASIC SKILLS

Discus grip and release

1. Holding the discus

• Place discus in your throwing hand

• Spread fingers out with index finger inline with wrist

• Place fingers first knuckles over the disc

2. Release the discus

• When releasing the discus have your palm down

• Squeeze the discus out (bar of soap)
• The disc will come off the index finger
• The disc will spin in a clockwise direction for a right handed thrower
3. Drills used to teach the grip and release – excellent time for a competition

Arm swings – Use this drill to teach about centrifugal force

a) The thrower stands with feet shoulder width apart
b) Place the disc into throwing hand
c) Swing the disc level with the shoulders back and forth catching it in your left hand
d) The athlete should feel the discus pushing out on the hand

Discus bowling – Use this drill for proper discus release.

a) The thrower will place the discus in his hand with proper placement
b) The thrower will bowl the discus to his partner that is standing 15 feet away
c) Remember to squeeze the discus out making sure the discus rolls off the index finger and
does not wobble
d) Once the thrower becomes proficient at 15 feet move the partners farther away form each
other or have the thrower bowl at a target

Throws for height – Use this drill for proper release of the discus
a) The thrower stands with feet shoulder width apart
b) Place the disc into throwing hand
c) Swing the discus forward and back next to your body two times
d) After two swings throw the discus straight up with a proper release remembering to
squeeze the discus out. Make sure the throwing arm is straight

Skip throws – Use this drill for proper discus release.

a) the thrower stands with feet shoulder width apart and facing perpendicular to the throwing
direction
b) place the disc into throwing hand
c) swing the disc level with the shoulders back and forth catching it in your left hand
d) After two swings throw the disc close to the ground with proper release remembering to
squeeze the disc out and keep the palm flat