See also: Hammer

The throwing the hammer is a discipline of the Athlétisme, originating in old practices Celte S, which consists in launching a ball in Acier of 16 pounds English (7,257 kg) for the men and 4 kg for the women, further possible. The ball is fixed at a steel cord connected to a handle. The whole measuring 1195 mm for the women and 1215mm for the men (measurement taken under the horizontal bar of the handle). In addition to the length and the weight, the size of the ball as well as the shape of the handle are regulated. In room, the men practice the heavy throwing the hammer (35 pounds American is 15,880 kg). Such contests are integral part of the Scottish Highland Games in particular with the throw of the Caber.

The principle consists in for the competitor further launching the hammer possible without leaving a circle from launching a diameter 2,135 m (7 feet). For this purpose the competitor initially makes take speed with its hammer by making it turn 2-3 times around its head in stationary position then it accelerates it in a continuous way while rotating 3-4 times while remaining in the circle. In order to remain in the circle much of men must carry out the first turn while returning to their initial position. The number of turn which it is possible to make in displacement in a circle depends on the size on the launcher since to turn it carries out a " heel-pointe" and thus distance proportional to its foot moves. In addition to the difficulty of not leaving the circle, the hammer must absolutely leave the cage and land in the surface of launching limited to a sector of angle of 34,92°.

While the throwing the hammer belongs to the Olympic Games for the men since 1900, IAAF officialized this sport for the women only since 1995. The throwing the hammer for women took place for the first time at the Olympic Games of summer of 2000 with Sidney, after being introduced one year earlier with the Championnats of the world of athletics 1999.

The records of France in 2006 are held at the men by Gilles Dupray (Trégor-Goelo Athlétisme) with a jet of 82,38m (21.06.2000 Chelles) and among women by Manuela Montebrun with a jet of 74,66 Mr.

The current world records (2005) are held for the men by Yuriy Sedykh with a distance from 86,74 Mètre S during the Championnats of Europe of athletics 1986 and the women by Tatiana Lysenko with a distance from 77,41  meters during a competition with Zhukovsky, Russia in June 2006.

History of the discipline

The Celtic origins of the throwing the hammer are attested by the Celtic Mythologie in particular that of Cúchulainn, warrior and champion of Ulster, and which realized wonders with the throw of wheel (to launch of a ray of wheel at the end of which a stone was fixed). This Celtic tradition remains with the Middle Ages and at the time modern, the wheel having been replaced by a hammer. This play was practiced as much by the Princes (Henri VIII of England excelled there) that by the communantés village ones.

Deeply enraciné in the culture Irish, the throwing the hammer develops the 19th century parallel to, in Great Britain and in the United States. One gradually gives up the use of the tool for a hammer specific to the practice of this discipline. Whereas in the USA the throwing the hammer is practiced without dash, in Great Britain, it is allowed to take a race of dash. But, in 1876, one decides to regulate the discipline. The weight and the length of the hammer are fixed, and the athletes are from now on prisoners of the circle of launching. American adopts these rules only as from 1887 and the wire of steel, limited to 1,22 m, replaces the handle out of wooden definitively. The first champion of the discipline, the Irishman James Mitchell gains three times the British title before immigrating in the USA where it carries out world records with 44,21  meters in 1892. But it is quickly détronné by John Flanagan, him also emigrated in the USA, which dominates the discipline and the world records of 1895 (44,46 m) with 1909 (56,19 m), gaining three Olympic titles with a still summary technique.

In the Années 1930, taking as a starting point a technique which have just discovered of the athletes Irish and benefitting from their absence to the Jeux of Berlin, the not very familiar Germans hitherto with this discipline, will improve throwing the hammer it by applying a technique of launching which is close to that one uses today. They arrive at the level of the world records which they carry to 59  meters in 1938.

The post-war period is dominated by the Hungarians, Imre Nemeth and Josef Csermak which still refines the technique of launching. But with the arrival of the Russian Mikhail Krivonosov in the discipline, the USSR dominates the discipline starting from the championships of Europe with Bern in 1954 and world records carried with 63,34  meters. Mikhail Krivonosov will be then détrôné by American Harold Connoly. The Soviets and the Americans understood that one of the factors key of the throw is speed and the power at the time of final wrenching. One observes then, as in the other disciplines of the throw, a muscular reinforcement with excess of the athletes. In twenty years the world records progress of 20  meters and knows then a new stage with the approach of the 80  meters. But those will be crossed, in 1978 by Boris Zaychuk. The Russians then dominate without division the discipline until the beginning of the year 1990. One assists, since the world records of Yuriy Sedykh in 1986, with a clear regression of the performances. Since the Plays of Seoul in 1988, the throws do not exceed any more the 84  meters and the current world level is towards the 82  meters.

World records

Men

• These performances carried out recently were not never world records but form all the same part of very better the performances of all times throwing the hammer

Women

See too

• the other throws are the Shot put , the Throwing the javelin and the Throwing the discus .
• Glossaire of the athletics
• the dwarves of the fictitious universe of 'The World off Warcraft practice the throw of hammer like sport or to the war. It is one of the attack of the heroes of human the " King of Montagne".

External bonds

• Throwing the hammer