Rules and Regulations
The onus of setting up the rules and regulations for the hammer throw event in the Olympics lies with the International Association of Athletics Federations or the IAAF.
- The weight of the steel ball used in the hammer throw is set by the IAAF to 7.257 kilograms.
- During and after the throw, body movement of the athletes is regularized by the IAAF.
- Athletes are barred from leaving the throw area until the hammer thrown by her touches the landing point. They can exit only with the consent of the judge.
- The IAAF also determines the material and the length of the wire with which the ball is attached to the handle.
- The athletes are given several chances to throw the hammer. For determining the top three athletes, the longest throws of them are picked up.
- To take a conclusion off a tie, the second best throw is evaluated.
Initially, the athletes set the hammer in the circular motion by spinning it above their head. Then take one to four turns in the circle to put maximum speed in the hammer. With each circle, the hammer increases in velocity with the high point of the ball toward the sector and the low point at the back of the circle. Then the athlete throws the ball trying to push it to the maximum distance. The angle of release and the speed of the ball play significant role in carrying the ball furthest.
Dominating Countries
The United States of America and Russia have been the dominating countries at hammer throw event in the Olympics.
Top Performers
Men athletes who have performed well in the Olympics are Andrey Abduvaliyev, Sergey Litvinov, Juha Tiainen, Yuriy Sedykh, Koji Murofushi, Szymon Ziolkowski, Balazs Kiss, Harold Vincent Connolly, Jozsef Csermak, Imre NemethKarl Hein, Pat O'Callaghan, Fred Tootell, Patrick Ryan, Matt McGrath, Anatoly Bondarchuck, Gyula Zsivotzky, Romuald Klim, and Vasily Rudenkov.