Shot put

Athletics Shot put
Polish double Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski
World records
Men	Ryan Crouser 23.37 m (76 ft 8 in) (2021)
Women	Natalya Lisovskaya 22.63 m (74 ft 2+3⁄4 in) (1987)
Olympic records
Men	Ryan Crouser 23.30 m (76 ft 5+1⁄4 in) (2021)
Women	Ilona Slupianek 22.41 m (73 ft 6+1⁄4 in) (1980)
World Championship records
Men	Joe Kovacs 22.91 m (75 ft 1+3⁄4 in) (2019)
Women	Natalya Lisovskaya 21.24 m (69 ft 8 in) (1987) Valerie Adams 21.24 m (69 ft 8 in) (2011)

The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (pushing rather than throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the shot—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's competition began in 1948.

Play media

Demonstration of the spin technique in shot put

History

Czechoslovak shot putter Plíhal at the 1957 East German Indoor Athletics Championships

Shot putter at the University of Nebraska, 1942, showing the circle and stopboard

Homer mentions competitions of rock throwing by soldiers during the Siege of Troy but there is no record of any dead weights being thrown in Greek competitions. The first evidence for stone- or weight-throwing events were in the Scottish Highlands, and date back to approximately the first century. In the 16th century King Henry VIII was noted for his prowess in court competitions of weight and hammer throwing.

The first events resembling the modern shot put likely occurred in the Middle Ages when soldiers held competitions in which they hurled cannonballs. Shot put competitions were first recorded in early 19th century Scotland, and were a part of the British Amateur Championships beginning in 1866.

Competitors take their throw from inside a marked circle 2.135 m (7 ft) in diameter, with what’s known as a “toe board” about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) high at the front of the circle. The distance thrown is measured from the inside of the circumference of the circle to the nearest mark made on the ground by the falling shot, with distances rounded down to the nearest centimetre under IAAF and WMA rules.

Legal throws

Czechoslovak shot putter Jiří Skobla showing the correct technique for keeping the shot near the neck

The following rules (indoor and outdoor) must be adhered to for a legal throw:

• Upon calling the athlete's name, the athlete may choose any part of the throwing circle to enter inside. They have thirty seconds to commence the throwing motion; otherwise it counts as a forfeit for the current round.
• The athlete may not wear gloves; IAAF rules permit the taping of individual fingers.
• The athlete must rest the shot close to the neck, and keep it tight to the neck throughout the motion.
• The shot must be released above the height of the shoulder, using only one hand.
• The athlete may touch the inside surface of the circle or toe board, but must not touch the top or outside of the circle or toe board, or the ground beyond the circle. Limbs may, however, extend over the lines of the circle in the air.
• The shot must land in the legal sector (34.92°) of the throwing area. Note that the sector has been narrowed multiple times over the years to improve safety with the latest revision (from 40°) occurring in 2004.
• The athlete must leave the throwing circle from the back half.

Foul throws occur when an athlete:

• Does not pause within the circle before beginning the putting motion.
• Does not complete the putting movement initiated within thirty seconds of having their name called.
• Allows the shot to drop below his shoulder or outside the vertical plane of his shoulder during the put.

At any time if the shot loses contact with the neck then it is technically an illegal put.

• During the putting motion, touches with any part of the body (including shoes):
  • the top or ends of the toe board
  • the top of the iron ring
  • anywhere outside the circle.
• Puts a shot which either falls outside the throwing sector or touches a sector line on the initial impact.
• Leaves the circle before the shot has landed.
• Does not leave from the rear half of the circle.

Regulation misconceptions

The following are either obsolete or non-existent, but commonly believed rules within professional competition:

• The athlete must enter the circle from the back (none of the rule books contain such a clause).
• The athlete entering the circle, then exiting and re-entering it prior to starting the throw results in a foul (all the rule books allow an athlete to leave a circle prior to starting a throw, but this still counts within the 30 second time limit; the allowable method of exiting the circle varies by rule book).
• Loose clothing, shoelaces, or long hair touching outside the circle during a throw, or an athlete bringing a towel into the circle and then throwing it out prior to the put, results in a foul.

Competition

Shot put area

Shot put competitions have been held at the modern Summer Olympic Games since their inception in 1896, and it is also included as an event in the World Athletics Championships.

Each of these competitions in the modern era have a set number of rounds of throws. Typically there are three qualification rounds to determine qualification for the final. There are then three preliminary rounds in the final with the top eight competitors receiving a further three throws. Each competitor in the final is credited with their longest throw, regardless of whether it was achieved in the preliminary or final three rounds. The competitor with the longest legal put is declared the winner.

Weight

In open competitions the men's shot weighs 7.26 kilograms (16.0 lb), and the women's shot weighs 4 kilograms (8.8 lb). Junior, school, and masters competitions often use different weights of shots, typically below the weights of those used in open competitions; the individual rules for each competition should be consulted in order to determine the correct weights to be used.

Putting styles

Two putting styles are in current general use by shot put competitors: the glide and the spin. With all putting styles, the goal is to release the shot with maximum forward velocity at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees.

Glide

The origin of this technique dates to 1951, when Parry O'Brien from the United States invented a technique that involved the putter facing backwards, rotating 180 degrees across the circle, and then tossing the shot. Unlike spin this technique is a linear movement.

With this technique, a right-hand thrower would begin facing the rear of the circle. They would typically adopt a specific type of crouch, involving their bent right leg, in order to begin the throw from a more beneficial posture whilst also isometrically preloading their muscles. The positioning of their bodyweight over their bent leg, which pushes upwards with equal force, generates a preparatory isometric press. The force generated by this press will be channelled into the subsequent throw making it more powerful. To initiate the throw they kick to the front with the left leg, while pushing off forcefully with the right. As the thrower crosses the circle, the hips twist toward the front, the left arm is swung out then pulled back tight, followed by the shoulders, and they then strike in a putting motion with their right arm. The key is to move quickly across the circle with as little air under the feet as possible, hence the name 'glide'.

Spin

This is also known as the rotational technique. It was first practiced in Europe in the 1950s but did not receive much attention until the 1970s. In 1972 Aleksandr Baryshnikov set his first USSR record using a new putting style, the spin ("круговой мах" in Russian), invented by his coach Viktor Alexeyev. The spin involves rotating like a discus thrower and using rotational momentum for power. In 1976 Baryshnikov went on to set a world record of 22.00 m (72.18 ft) with his spin style, and was the first shot putter to cross the 22-meter mark.

With this technique, a right-hand thrower faces the rear, and begins to spin on the ball of the left foot. The thrower comes around and faces the front of the circle and drives the right foot into the center of the circle. Finally, the thrower reaches for the front of the circle with the left foot, twisting the hips and shoulders like in the glide, and puts the shot.

When the athlete executes the spin, the upper body is twisted hard to the right, so the imaginary lines created by the shoulders and hips are no longer parallel. This action builds up torque, and stretches the muscles, creating an involuntary elasticity in the muscles, providing extra power and momentum. When the athlete prepares to release, the left foot is firmly planted, causing the momentum and energy generated to be conserved, pushing the shot in an upward and outward direction.

Another purpose of the spin is to build up a high rotational speed, by swinging the right leg initially, then to bring all the limbs in tightly, similar to a figure skater bringing in their arms while spinning to increase their speed. Once this fast speed is achieved the shot is released, transferring the energy into the shot put.

Until 2016, a woman had never made an Olympic final (top 8) using the spin technique. The first woman to enter a final and win a medal at the Olympics was Anita Márton.

Usage

Currently, most top male shot putters use the spin. However the glide remains popular since the technique leads to greater consistency compared to the rotational technique. Almost all throwers start by using the glide. Tomasz Majewski notes that although most athletes use the spin, he and some other top shot putters achieved success using this classic method (for example he became first to defend the Olympic title in 56 years).

The world record and the second-best all-time male results were completed with the spin technique, while the third-best all-time put of 23.06 m (75 ft 7+3⁄4 in) by Ulf Timmermann was completed with the glide technique.

The decision to glide or spin may need to be decided on an individual basis, determined by the thrower's size and power. Short throwers may benefit from the spin and taller throwers may benefit from the glide, but many throwers do not follow this guideline.

Types of shots

The shot is made of different kinds of materials depending on its intended use. Materials used include sand, iron, cast iron, solid steel, stainless steel, brass, and synthetic materials like polyvinyl. Some metals are more dense than others making the size of the shot vary. For example, different materials are used to make indoor and outdoor shot - because damage to surroundings must be taken into account - so the latter are smaller. There are various size and weight standards for the implement that depend on the age and gender of the competitors as well as the national customs of the governing body.

World records

Main articles: Men's shot put world record progression and Women's shot put world record progression

The current world record holders are:

Type	Athlete	Mark	Date	Place
Men
Outdoor	Ryan Crouser	23.37 m (76 ft 8 in)	18 June 2021	Eugene, Oregon, USA
Indoor	Ryan Crouser	22.82 m (74 ft 10+1⁄4 in)	24 January 2021	Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
Women
Outdoor	Natalya Lisovskaya	22.63 m (74 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	7 June 1987	Moscow, USSR
Indoor	Helena Fibingerová	22.50 m (73 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	19 February 1977	Jablonec, CZE

Continental records

The current records held on each continent are:

Area	Men's			Women's
	Mark	Athlete	Nation	Mark	Athlete	Nation
Africa	21.97 m (72 ft 3⁄4 in)	Janus Robberts	South Africa	18.43 m (60 ft 5+1⁄2 in)	Vivian Chukwuemeka	Nigeria
Asia	21.49 m (70 ft 6 in)	Tajinderpal Singh Toor	India	21.76 m (71 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Meisu Li	China
Europe	23.06 m (75 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	Ulf Timmermann	East Germany	22.63 m (74 ft 2+3⁄4 in) WR	Natalya Lisovskaya	Soviet Union
North and Central America, and Caribbean	23.37 m (76 ft 8 in) WR	Ryan Crouser	United States	20.96 m (68 ft 9 in) A	Belsy Laza	Cuba
Oceania	22.90 m (75 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Tomas Walsh	New Zealand	21.24 m (69 ft 8 in)	Valerie Adams	New Zealand
South America	22.61 m (74 ft 2 in)	Darlan Romani	Brazil	19.30 m (63 ft 3+3⁄4 in) A	Elisângela Adriano	Brazil

All-time top 25

Men (absolute)

• Correct as of June 2021.

Rank	Mark	Technique	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	23.37 m (76 ft 8 in)	spin	Ryan Crouser	United States	18 June 2021	Eugene
2	23.12 m (75 ft 10 in)	spin	Randy Barnes	United States	20 May 1990	Westwood
3	23.06 m (75 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	glide	Ulf Timmermann	East Germany	22 May 1988	Khania
5	22.91 m (75 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	glide	Alessandro Andrei	Italy	12 August 1987	Viareggio
		spin	Joe Kovacs	United States	5 October 2019	Doha
7	22.90 m (75 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	spin	Tomas Walsh	New Zealand	5 October 2019	Doha
8	22.86 m (75 ft 0 in) A	spin	Brian Oldfield	United States	10 May 1975	El Paso
9	22.75 m (74 ft 7+1⁄2 in)	glide	Werner Günthör	Switzerland	23 August 1988	Bern
10	22.67 m (74 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	spin	Kevin Toth	United States	19 April 2003	Lawrence
11	22.64 m (74 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	glide	Udo Beyer	East Germany	20 August 1986	Berlin
12	22.61 m (74 ft 2 in)	spin	Darlan Romani	Brazil	30 June 2019	Stanford
13	22.54 m (73 ft 11+1⁄4 in)	spin	Christian Cantwell	United States	5 June 2004	Gresham
14	22.52 m (73 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	glide	John Brenner	United States	26 April 1987	Walnut
15	22.51 m (73 ft 10 in)	spin	Adam Nelson	United States	18 May 2002	Gresham
16	22.44 m (73 ft 7+1⁄4 in)	spin	Darrell Hill	United States	31 August 2017	Brussels
17	22.43 m (73 ft 7 in)	spin	Reese Hoffa	United States	3 August 2007	London
18	22.32 m (73 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	spin	Michał Haratyk	Poland	28 July 2019	Warsaw
					3 August 2019	Władysławowo
19	22.28 m (73 ft 1 in)	spin	Ryan Whiting	United States	10 May 2013	Doha
20	22.25 m (72 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	spin	Konrad Bukowiecki	Poland	14 September 2019	Chorzów
21	22.24 m (72 ft 11+1⁄2 in)	glide	Sergey Smirnov	Soviet Union	21 June 1986	Tallinn
22	22.22 m (72 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	spin	Bob Bertemes	Luxembourg	4 August 2019	Luxembourg City
23	22.21 m (72 ft 10+1⁄4 in) A	spin	Dylan Armstrong	Canada	25 June 2011	Calgary
24	22.20 m (72 ft 10 in)	glide	David Storl	Germany	9 July 2015	Lausanne
		spin	John Godina	United States	22 May 2005	Carson

Notes

Below is a list of all other performances (excluding ancillary throws) equal or superior to 22.40 m:

• Ryan Crouser also threw 23.30 (2021), 23.01 (2021), 22.92 (2021), 22.91 (2020), 22.90 (2019), 22.82 (2021i), 22.74 (2019 & 2020), 22.72 (2020), 22.70 (2020), 22.69 (2021), 22.67 (2019), 22.66 (2021i), 22.65 (2017 & 2021i), 22.62 (2019), 22.60 (2020i & 2021), 22.59 (2020), 22.58 (2020i), 22.56 (2020), 22.53 (2018), 22.52 (2016), 22.47 (2017), 22.44 (2019), 22.43 (2017 & 2020) and 22.42 (2020).
• Randy Barnes also threw 23.10 (1990), 22.66 (1989i) and 22.42 (1988).
• Joe Kovacs also threw 22.72 (2021), 22.65 (2021), 22.57 (2017) and 22.56 (2015).
• Tom Walsh also threw 22.67 (2018), 22.60 (2018), 22.47 (2021), 22.45 (2018) and 22.44 (2019).
• Ulf Timmermann also threw 22.62 (1985), 22.61 (1988), 22.60 (1986), 22.56 (1988), 22.55 (1989i), 22.51 (1986) and 22.47 (1986 & 1988).
• Darlan Romani also threw 22.55 (2019).
• Werner Günthör also threw 22.47 and 22.43 (both 1987).
• Brian Oldfield also threw 22.45 (1976 A).
• Christian Cantwell also threw 22.45 (2006) and 22.41 (2010).
• Adam Nelson also threw 22.40 (2008i)
• Darrell Hill also threw 22.40 (2018).

Women (absolute)

• Correct as of October 2019.

Rank	Mark	Technique	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place
1	22.63 m (74 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	glide	Natalya Lisovskaya	Soviet Union	7 June 1987	Moscow
2	22.50 m (73 ft 9+3⁄4 in) i	glide	Helena Fibingerová	Czechoslovakia	19 February 1977	Jablonec nad Nisou
3	22.45 m (73 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	glide	Ilona Slupianek	East Germany	11 May 1980	Potsdam
4	22.19 m (72 ft 9+1⁄2 in)	glide	Claudia Losch	West Germany	23 August 1987	Hainfeld
5	21.89 m (71 ft 9+3⁄4 in)	glide	Ivanka Khristova	Bulgaria	4 July 1976	Belmeken
6	21.86 m (71 ft 8+1⁄2 in)	glide	Marianne Adam	East Germany	23 June 1979	Leipzig
7	21.76 m (71 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	glide	Li Meisu	China	23 April 1988	Shijiazhuang
8	21.73 m (71 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	glide	Natalya Akhrimenko	Soviet Union	21 May 1988	Leselidze
9	21.69 m (71 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	glide	Vita Pavlysh	Ukraine	15 August 1998	Budapest
10	21.66 m (71 ft 3⁄4 in)	glide	Sui Xinmei	China	9 June 1990	Beijing
11	21.62 m (70 ft 11 in)	glide	Verzhinia Veselinova	Bulgaria	21 August 1982	Sofia
12	21.60 m (70 ft 10+1⁄4 in) i	glide	Valentina Fedyushina	Soviet Union	28 December 1991	Simferopol
13	21.58 m (70 ft 9+1⁄2 in)	glide	Margitta Pufe	East Germany	28 May 1978	Erfurt
14	21.57 m (70 ft 9 in)	glide	Ines Müller	East Germany	16 May 1988	Athens
15	21.53 m (70 ft 7+1⁄2 in)	glide	Nunu Abashidze	Soviet Union	20 June 1984	Kyiv
16	21.52 m (70 ft 7 in)	glide	Huang Zhihong	China	27 June 1990	Beijing
17	21.46 m (70 ft 4+3⁄4 in)	glide	Larisa Peleshenko	Russia	26 August 2000	Budapest
18	21.45 m (70 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	glide	Nadezhda Chizhova	Soviet Union	29 September 1973	Varna
19	21.43 m (70 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	glide	Eva Wilms	West Germany	27 June 1977	Munich
20	21.42 m (70 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	glide	Svetlana Krachevskaya	Soviet Union	24 July 1980	Moscow
21	21.31 m (69 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	glide	Heike Hartwig	East Germany	16 May 1988	Athens
22	21.27 m (69 ft 9+1⁄4 in)	glide	Liane Schmuhl	East Germany	26 June 1982	Cottbus
23	21.24 m (69 ft 8 in)	glide	Valerie Adams	New Zealand	29 August 2011	Daegu
24	21.22 m (69 ft 7+1⁄4 in)	glide	Astrid Kumbernuss	Germany	5 August 1995	Gothenburg
25	21.21 m (69 ft 7 in)	glide	Kathrin Neimke	East Germany	5 September 1987	Rome

Notes

Best women's throw using a spin technique is 20.12 by Jessica Ramsey.

Below is a list of all other performances (excluding ancillary throws) equal or superior to 22.00 m:

• Natalya Lisovskaya also threw 22.55 (1988), 22.53 (1984 & 1988), 22.24 (1988), 22.14 (1987i) and 22.06 (1988).
• Helena Fibingerová also threw 22.32 (1977).
• Ilona Slupianek also threw 22.41 (1980), 22.40 (1983), 22.38 (1980), 22.36 (1980), 22.34 (twice in 1980), 22.22 (1980), 22.13 (1980), 22.05 (twice in 1980) and 22.04 (twice in 1979).

Annulled

The following athletes had their performance (over 21.48 m) annulled due to doping offenses:

• Nadzeya Ostapchuk 21.70 (2010i)

Olympic medalists

Men

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

Women

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1948 London	Micheline Ostermeyer  France	Amelia Piccinini  Italy	Ina Schäffer  Austria
1952 Helsinki	Galina Zybina  Soviet Union	Marianne Werner  Germany	Klavdiya Tochenova  Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne	Tamara Tyshkevich  Soviet Union	Galina Zybina  Soviet Union	Marianne Werner  United Team of Germany
1960 Rome	Tamara Press  Soviet Union	Johanna Lüttge  United Team of Germany	Earlene Brown  United States
1964 Tokyo	Tamara Press  Soviet Union	Renate Culmberger  United Team of Germany	Galina Zybina  Soviet Union
1968 Mexico City	Margitta Gummel  East Germany	Marita Lange  East Germany	Nadezhda Chizhova  Soviet Union
1972 Munich	Nadezhda Chizhova  Soviet Union	Margitta Gummel  East Germany	Ivanka Khristova  Bulgaria
1976 Montreal	Ivanka Khristova  Bulgaria	Nadezhda Chizhova  Soviet Union	Helena Fibingerová  Czechoslovakia
1980 Moscow	Ilona Slupianek  East Germany	Svetlana Krachevskaya  Soviet Union	Margitta Pufe  East Germany
1984 Los Angeles	Claudia Losch  West Germany	Mihaela Loghin  Romania	Gael Martin  Australia
1988 Seoul	Natalya Lisovskaya  Soviet Union	Kathrin Neimke  East Germany	Li Meisu  China
1992 Barcelona	Svetlana Krivelyova  Unified Team	Huang Zhihong  China	Kathrin Neimke  Germany
1996 Atlanta	Astrid Kumbernuss  Germany	Sui Xinmei  China	Irina Khudoroshkina  Russia
2000 Sydney	Yanina Karolchik  Belarus	Larisa Peleshenko  Russia	Astrid Kumbernuss  Germany
2004 Athens	Yumileidi Cumbá  Cuba	Nadine Kleinert  Germany	Not awarded
2008 Beijing	Valerie Vili  New Zealand	Misleydis González  Cuba	Gong Lijiao  China
2012 London	Valerie Adams  New Zealand	Gong Lijiao  China	Li Ling  China
2016 Rio de Janeiro	Michelle Carter  United States	Valerie Adams  New Zealand	Anita Márton  Hungary
2020 Tokyo	Gong Lijiao  China	Raven Saunders  United States	Valerie Adams  New Zealand

World Championship medalists

Men

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Edward Sarul (POL)	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	Remigius Machura (TCH)
1987 Rome	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Alessandro Andrei (ITA)	John Brenner (USA)
1991 Tokyo	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Lars Arvid Nilsen (NOR)	Aleksandr Klimenko (URS)
1993 Stuttgart	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Randy Barnes (USA)	Oleksandr Bagach (UKR)
1995 Gothenburg	John Godina (USA)	Mika Halvari (FIN)	Randy Barnes (USA)
1997 Athens	John Godina (USA)	Oliver-Sven Buder (GER)	C. J. Hunter (USA)
1999 Seville	C. J. Hunter (USA)	Oliver-Sven Buder (GER)	Oleksandr Bagach (UKR)
2001 Edmonton	John Godina (USA)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Arsi Harju (FIN)
2003 Saint-Denis	Andrei Mikhnevich (BLR)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Yuriy Bilonoh (UKR)
2005 Helsinki	Adam Nelson (USA)	Rutger Smith (NED)	Ralf Bartels (GER)
2007 Osaka	Reese Hoffa (USA)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Rutger Smith (NED)
2009 Berlin	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Tomasz Majewski (POL)	Ralf Bartels (GER)
2011 Daegu	David Storl (GER)	Dylan Armstrong (CAN)	Christian Cantwell (USA)
2013 Moscow	David Storl (GER)	Ryan Whiting (USA)	Dylan Armstrong (CAN)
2015 Beijing	Joe Kovacs (USA)	David Storl (GER)	O'Dayne Richards (JAM)
2017 London	Tom Walsh (NZL)	Joe Kovacs (USA)	Stipe Žunić (CRO)
2019 Doha	Joe Kovacs (USA)	Ryan Crouser (USA)	Tom Walsh (NZL)

Women

Championships	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1983 Helsinki	Helena Fibingerová (TCH)	Helma Knorscheidt (GDR)	Ilona Schoknecht-Slupianek (GDR)
1987 Rome	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Kathrin Neimke (GDR)	Ines Müller (GDR)
1991 Tokyo	Huang Zhihong (CHN)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Svetlana Krivelyova (URS)
1993 Stuttgart	Huang Zhihong (CHN)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Kathrin Neimke (GER)
1995 Gothenburg	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Huang Zhihong (CHN)	Svetla Mitkova (BUL)
1997 Athens	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Vita Pavlysh (UKR)	Stephanie Storp (GER)
1999 Seville	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)
2001 Edmonton	Yanina Karolchik (BLR)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)	Vita Pavlysh (UKR)
2003 Saint-Denis	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	Vita Pavlysh (UKR)
2005 Helsinki	Olga Ryabinkina (RUS)	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)
2007 Osaka	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)
2009 Berlin	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)
2011 Daegu	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	Jillian Camarena-Williams (USA)
2013 Moscow	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Christina Schwanitz (GER)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)
2015 Beijing	Christina Schwanitz (GER)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Michelle Carter (USA)
2017 London	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Anita Márton (HUN)	Michelle Carter (USA)
2019 Doha	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM)	Christina Schwanitz (GER)

World Indoor Championships medalists

Men

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1985 Paris	Remigius Machura (TCH)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Jānis Bojārs (URS)
1987 Indianapolis	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Sergey Smirnov (URS)
1989 Budapest	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	Randy Barnes (USA)	Georg Andersen (NOR)
1991 Seville	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Klaus Bodenmüller (AUT)	Ron Backes (USA)
1993 Toronto	Mike Stulce (USA)	Jim Doehring (USA)	Oleksandr Bagach (UKR)
1995 Barcelona	Mika Halvari (FIN)	C. J. Hunter (USA)	Dragan Perić (FRY)
1997 Paris	Yuriy Bilonoh (UKR)	Oleksandr Bagach (UKR)	John Godina (USA)
1999 Maebashi	Oleksandr Bagach (UKR)	John Godina (USA)	Yuriy Bilonoh (UKR)
2001 Lisbon	John Godina (USA)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Manuel Martínez (ESP)
2003 Birmingham	Manuel Martínez (ESP)	John Godina (USA)	Yuriy Bilonoh (UKR)
2004 Budapest	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Reese Hoffa (USA)	Joachim Olsen (DEN)
2006 Moscow	Reese Hoffa (USA)	Joachim Olsen (DEN)	Pavel Sofin (RUS)
2008 Valencia	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Reese Hoffa (USA)	Tomasz Majewski (POL)
2010 Doha	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Ralf Bartels (GER)	Dylan Armstrong (CAN)
2012 Istanbul	Ryan Whiting (USA)	David Storl (GER)	Tomasz Majewski (POL)
2014 Sopot	Ryan Whiting (USA)	David Storl (GER)	Tomas Walsh (NZL)
2016 Portland	Tomas Walsh (NZL)	Andrei Gag (ROU)	Filip Mihaljević (CRO)
2018 Birmingham	Tomas Walsh (NZL)	David Storl (GER)	Tomáš Staněk (CZE)

Women

Games	Gold	Silver	Bronze
1985 Paris	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Ines Müller (GDR)	Nunu Abashidze (URS)
1987 Indianapolis	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Ilona Briesenick (GDR)	Claudia Losch (FRG)
1989 Budapest	Claudia Losch (FRG)	Huang Zhihong (CHN)	Christa Wiese (GDR)
1991 Seville	Sui Xinmei (CHN)	Huang Zhihong (CHN)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)
1993 Toronto	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Stephanie Storp (GER)	Zhang Liuhong (CHN)
1995 Barcelona	Kathrin Neimke (GER)	Connie Price-Smith (USA)	Grit Hammer (GER)
1997 Paris	Vita Pavlysh (UKR)	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Irina Korzhanenko (RUS)
1999 Maebashi	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Krystyna Danilczyk-Zabawska (POL)	Teri Steer-Tunks (USA)
2001 Lisbon	Larisa Peleshenko (RUS)	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)
2003 Birmingham	Irina Korzhanenko (RUS)	Nadzeya Ostapchuk (BLR)	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)
2004 Budapest	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Yumileidi Cumbá (CUB)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)
2006 Moscow	Natallia Mikhnevich (BLR)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)	Olga Ryabinkina (RUS)
2008 Valencia	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Li Meiju (CHN)	Misleydis González (CUB)
2010 Doha	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Anna Avdeyeva (RUS)	Nadine Kleinert (GER)
2012 Istanbul	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Michelle Carter (USA)	Jillian Camarena-Williams (USA)
2014 Sopot	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Christina Schwanitz (GER)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)
2016 Portland	Michelle Carter (USA)	Anita Márton (HUN)	Valerie Adams (NZL)
2018 Birmingham	Anita Márton (HUN)	Danniel Thomas-Dodd (JAM)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)

• ^A Known as the World Indoor Games

Season's bests

Men

Year	Mark	Athlete	Place
1964	20.68 m (67 ft 10 in)	Dallas Long (USA)	Los Angeles
1965	21.52 m (70 ft 7 in)	Randy Matson (USA)	College Station
1966	21.09 m (69 ft 2+1⁄4 in)	Randy Matson (USA)	Los Angeles
1967	21.78 m (71 ft 5+1⁄4 in)	Randy Matson (USA)	College Station
1968	21.30 m (69 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	Randy Matson (USA)	Walnut
1969	20.64 m (67 ft 8+1⁄2 in)	Neal Steinhauer (USA) Hans-Peter Gies (GDR)	Eugene Budapest
1970	21.75 m (71 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Randy Matson (USA)	Berkeley
1971	21.12 m (69 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Heinz-Joachim Rothenburg (GDR)	Moscow
1972	21.54 m (70 ft 8 in)	Hartmut Briesenick (GDR)	Potsdam
1973	21.82 m (71 ft 7 in)	Al Feuerbach (USA)	San Jose
1974	22.02 m (72 ft 2+3⁄4 in) i	George Woods (USA)	Moscow
1975	22.86 m (75 ft 0 in) A	Brian Oldfield (USA)	El Paso
1976	22.45 m (73 ft 7+3⁄4 in) A	Brian Oldfield (USA)	El Paso
1977	21.74 m (71 ft 3+3⁄4 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Düsseldorf
1978	22.15 m (72 ft 8 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Gothenburg
1979	21.74 m (71 ft 3+3⁄4 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Linz
1980	21.98 m (72 ft 1+1⁄4 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Erfurt
1981	22.02 m (72 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	Brian Oldfield (USA)	Modesto
1982	22.02 m (72 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	Dave Laut (USA)	Koblenz
1983	22.22 m (72 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Los Angeles
1984	22.19 m (72 ft 9+1⁄2 in)	Brian Oldfield (USA)	San Jose
1985	22.62 m (74 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	Berlin
1986	22.64 m (74 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Udo Beyer (GDR)	Berlin
1987	22.91 m (75 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Alessandro Andrei (ITA)	Viareggio
1988	23.06 m (75 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	Hania
1989	22.66 m (74 ft 4 in) i	Randy Barnes (USA)	Los Angeles
1990	23.12 m (75 ft 10 in)	Randy Barnes (USA)	Westwood
1991	22.03 m (72 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Oslo
1992	21.98 m (72 ft 1+1⁄4 in)	Gregg Tafralis (USA)	Los Gatos
1993	21.98 m (72 ft 1+1⁄4 in)	Werner Günthör (SUI)	Linz
1994	21.09 m (69 ft 2+1⁄4 in)	Jim Doehring (USA)	New York City
1995	22.00 m (72 ft 2 in)	John Godina (USA)	Knoxville
1996	22.40 m (73 ft 5+3⁄4 in)	Randy Barnes (USA)	Rüdlingen
1997	22.03 m (72 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Randy Barnes (USA)	Indianapolis
1998	21.78 m (71 ft 5+1⁄4 in)	John Godina (USA)	Walnut
1999	22.02 m (72 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	John Godina (USA)	Eugene
2000	22.12 m (72 ft 6+3⁄4 in)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Sacramento
2001	21.97 m (72 ft 3⁄4 in)	Janus Robberts (RSA)	Eugene
2002	22.51 m (73 ft 10 in)	Adam Nelson (USA)	Gresham
2003	22.67 m (74 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Kevin Toth (USA)	Lawrence
2004	22.54 m (73 ft 11+1⁄4 in)	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Gresham
2005	22.20 m (72 ft 10 in)	John Godina (USA)	Carson
2006	22.45 m (73 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Gateshead
2007	22.43 m (73 ft 7 in)	Reese Hoffa (USA)	London
2008	22.40 m (73 ft 5+3⁄4 in) i	Adam Nelson (USA)	Fayetteville
2009	22.16 m (72 ft 8+1⁄4 in)	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Zagreb
2010	22.41 m (73 ft 6+1⁄4 in)	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Eugene
2011	22.21 m (72 ft 10+1⁄4 in) A	Dylan Armstrong (CAN)	Calgary
2012	22.31 m (73 ft 2+1⁄4 in)	Christian Cantwell (USA)	Champaign
2013	22.28 m (73 ft 1 in)	Ryan Whiting (USA)	Doha
2014	22.23 m (72 ft 11 in) i A	Ryan Whiting (USA)	Albuquerque
2015	22.56 m (74 ft 0 in)	Joe Kovacs (USA)	Monaco
2016	22.52 m (73 ft 10+1⁄2 in)	Ryan Crouser (USA)	Rio de Janeiro
2017	22.65 m (74 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Ryan Crouser (USA)	Sacramento
2018	22.67 m (74 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Tom Walsh (NZL)	Auckland
2019	22.91 m (75 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Joe Kovacs (USA)	Doha
2020	22.91 m (75 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Ryan Crouser (USA)	Marietta
2021	23.37 m (76 ft 8 in)	Ryan Crouser (USA)	Eugene

Women

Year	Mark	Athlete	Place
1964	18.40 m (60 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Tamara Press (URS)	Minsk
1965	18.59 m (60 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	Tamara Press (URS)	Kassel
1966	18.01 m (59 ft 1 in)	Tamara Press (URS)	Auckland
1967	18.34 m (60 ft 2 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Karl-Marx-Stadt
1968	19.61 m (64 ft 4 in) A	Margitta Gummel (GDR)	Mexico City
1969	20.43 m (67 ft 1⁄4 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Athens
1970	19.69 m (64 ft 7 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Erfurt
1971	20.43 m (67 ft 1⁄4 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Moscow
1972	21.03 m (68 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Munich
1973	21.45 m (70 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Nadezhda Chizhova (URS)	Varna
1974	21.57 m (70 ft 9 in)	Helena Fibingerová (TCH)	Gottwaldov
1975	21.60 m (70 ft 10+1⁄4 in)	Marianne Adam (GDR)	Berlin
1976	21.99 m (72 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Helena Fibingerová (TCH)	Opava
1977	22.50 m (73 ft 9+3⁄4 in) i	Helena Fibingerová (TCH)	Jablonec nad Nisou
1978	22.06 m (72 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Berlin
1979	22.04 m (72 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Potsdam
1980	22.45 m (73 ft 7+3⁄4 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Potsdam
1981	21.61 m (70 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Potsdam
1982	21.80 m (71 ft 6+1⁄4 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Potsdam
1983	22.40 m (73 ft 5+3⁄4 in)	Ilona Slupianek (GDR)	Berlin
1984	22.53 m (73 ft 11 in)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Sochi
1985	21.73 m (71 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Erfurt
1986	21.70 m (71 ft 2+1⁄4 in)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Tallinn
1987	22.63 m (74 ft 2+3⁄4 in)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Moscow
1988	22.55 m (73 ft 11+3⁄4 in)	Natalya Lisovskaya (URS)	Tallinn
1989	20.82 m (68 ft 3+1⁄2 in)	Li Meisu (CHN)	Prague
1990	21.66 m (71 ft 3⁄4 in)	Sui Xinmei (CHN)	Beijing
1991	21.60 m (70 ft 10+1⁄4 in) i	Valentina Fedyushina (URS)	Simferopol
1992	21.06 m (69 ft 1 in)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Barcelona
1993	20.84 m (68 ft 4+1⁄4 in)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Moscow
1994	20.54 m (67 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Sui Xinmei (CHN)	Beijing
1995	21.22 m (69 ft 7+1⁄4 in)	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Gothenburg
1996	20.97 m (68 ft 9+1⁄2 in)	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Duisburg
1997	21.22 m (69 ft 7+1⁄4 in)	Astrid Kumbernuss (GER)	Hamburg
1998	21.69 m (71 ft 1+3⁄4 in)	Viktoriya Pavlysh (UKR)	Budapest
1999	21.15 m (69 ft 4+1⁄2 in) i	Irina Korzhanenko (RUS)	Moscow
2000	21.46 m (70 ft 4+3⁄4 in)	Larisa Peleshenko (RUS)	Moscow
2001	20.79 m (68 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Larisa Peleshenko (RUS)	Tula
2002	20.64 m (67 ft 8+1⁄2 in)	Irina Korzhanenko (RUS)	Munich
2003	20.77 m (68 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Svetlana Krivelyova (RUS)	Tula
2004	20.79 m (68 ft 2+1⁄2 in)	Irina Korzhanenko (RUS)	Tula
2005	21.09 m (69 ft 2+1⁄4 in)	Nadzeya Astapchuk (BLR)	Minsk
2006	20.20 m (66 ft 3+1⁄4 in)	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Christchurch
2007	20.54 m (67 ft 4+1⁄2 in)	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Osaka
2008	20.70 m (67 ft 10+3⁄4 in)	Natalya Mikhnevich (BLR)	Grodno
2009	21.07 m (69 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Valerie Vili (NZL)	Thessaloniki
2010	20.86 m (68 ft 5+1⁄4 in)	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Split
2011	21.24 m (69 ft 8 in)	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Daegu
2012	21.11 m (69 ft 3 in)	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Lucerne
2013	20.98 m (68 ft 9+3⁄4 in) i	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Zürich
2014	20.67 m (67 ft 9+3⁄4 in) i	Valerie Adams (NZL)	Sopot
2015	20.77 m (68 ft 1+1⁄2 in)	Christina Schwanitz (GER)	Beijing
2016	20.63 m (67 ft 8 in)	Michelle Carter (USA)	Rio de Janeiro
2017	20.11 m (65 ft 11+1⁄2 in)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Böhmenkirch
2018	20.38 m (66 ft 10+1⁄4 in) A	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Guiyang
2019	20.31 m (66 ft 7+1⁄2 in)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Zürich
2020	19.70 m (64 ft 7+1⁄2 in) i	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Beijing
2021	20.31 m (66 ft 7+1⁄2 in)	Gong Lijiao (CHN)	Shaoxing

See also

• Masters shot put
• Pundo
• Stone put
• 20 metre club

External links

• IAAF shot put homepage
• IAAF list of shot-put records in XML