Shot put Track and field

remigius machura preparing throw within circle

the genesis of shot put can traced pre-historic competitions rocks: in middle ages stone put known in scotland , steinstossen recorded in switzerland. in 17th century, cannonball throwing competitions within english military provided precursor modern sport. term shot originates use of round shot-style ammunition sport. modern rules first laid out in 1860 , required competitors take legal throws within square throwing area of 7 feet (2.13 m) on each side. amended circle area seven-foot diameter in 1906, , weight of shot standardised 16 pounds (7.26 kg). throwing technique refined on period, bent arm throws being banned deemed dangerous , side-step , throw technique arising in united states in 1876.

the shot put has been olympic sport men since 1896 , women s competition using 4 kg (8.82 lb) shot added in 1948. further throwing techniques have arisen since post-war era: in 1950s parry o brien popularised 180 degree turn , throw technique commonly known glide , breaking world record 17 times along way, while aleksandr baryshnikov , brian oldfield introduced spin or rotational technique in 1976.