Shot put at the Olympics

The shot put at the Summer Olympics is one of four track and field throwing events held at the multi-sport event. The men's shot put has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1896 (one of two throws events at the first Olympics, alongside the discus). The women's event was added to the programme at the 1948 Olympics just over fifty years later.

Shot put
at the Olympic Games
The inaugural shot put in 1896
Overview
SportAthletics
GenderMen and women
Years heldMen: 18962020
Women: 19482020
Olympic record
Men23.30 m Ryan Crouser (2021)
Women22.41 m Ilona Slupianek (1980)
Reigning champion
Men Ryan Crouser (USA)
Women Yemisi Ogunleye (GER)

The Olympic record for the women's event was set by the East German Ilona Slupianek with a put of 22.41 m (73 ft 6+14 in) in 1980, and the record for the men's event of 23.30 m (76 ft 5+14 in) was set by the American Ryan Crouser in 2021.

Two variations on the event have been contested at the Olympics: a two-handed competition at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, with athletes using both left and right arm putting techniques, and a stone throw at the 1906 Intercalated Games.

Medalists

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Athens
details
Robert Garrett
  United States
Miltiadis Gouskos
  Greece
Georgios Papasideris
  Greece
1900 Paris
details
Richard Sheldon
  United States
Josiah McCracken
  United States
Robert Garrett
  United States
1904 St. Louis
details
Ralph Rose
  United States
Wesley Coe
  United States
Lawrence Feuerbach
  United States
1908 London
details
Ralph Rose
  United States
Denis Horgan
  Great Britain
John Garrels
  United States
1912 Stockholm
details
Pat McDonald
  United States
Ralph Rose
  United States
Lawrence Whitney
  United States
1920 Antwerp
details
Ville Pörhölä
  Finland
Elmer Niklander
  Finland
Harry Liversedge
  United States
1924 Paris
details
Bud Houser
  United States
Glenn Hartranft
  United States
Ralph Hills
  United States
1928 Amsterdam
details
John Kuck
  United States
Herman Brix
  United States
Emil Hirschfeld
  Germany
1932 Los Angeles
details
Leo Sexton
  United States
Harlow Rothert
  United States
František Douda
  Czechoslovakia
1936 Berlin
details
Hans Woellke
  Germany
Sulo Bärlund
  Finland
Gerhard Stöck
  Germany
1948 London
details
Wilbur Thompson
  United States
Jim Delaney
  United States
Jim Fuchs
  United States
1952 Helsinki
details
Parry O'Brien
  United States
Darrow Hooper
  United States
Jim Fuchs
  United States
1956 Melbourne
details
Parry O'Brien
  United States
Bill Nieder
  United States
Jiří Skobla
  Czechoslovakia
1960 Rome
details
Bill Nieder
  United States
Parry O'Brien
  United States
Dallas Long
  United States
1964 Tokyo
details
Dallas Long
  United States
Randy Matson
  United States
Vilmos Varjú
  Hungary
1968 Mexico City
details
Randy Matson
  United States
George Woods
  United States
Eduard Gushchin
  Soviet Union
1972 Munich
details
Władysław Komar
  Poland
George Woods
  United States
Hartmut Briesenick
  East Germany
1976 Montreal
details
Udo Beyer
  East Germany
Yevgeniy Mironov
  Soviet Union
Aleksandr Baryshnikov
  Soviet Union
1980 Moscow
details
Vladimir Kiselyov
  Soviet Union
Aleksandr Baryshnikov
  Soviet Union
Udo Beyer
  East Germany
1984 Los Angeles
details
Alessandro Andrei
  Italy
Mike Carter
  United States
Dave Laut
  United States
1988 Seoul
details
Ulf Timmermann
  East Germany
Randy Barnes
  United States
Werner Günthör
  Switzerland
1992 Barcelona
details
Mike Stulce
  United States
Jim Doehring
  United States
Vyacheslav Lykho
  Unified Team
1996 Atlanta
details
Randy Barnes
  United States
John Godina
  United States
Oleksandr Bagach
  Ukraine
2000 Sydney
details
Arsi Harju
  Finland
Adam Nelson
  United States
John Godina
  United States
2004 Athens
details
Adam Nelson
  United States
Joachim Olsen
  Denmark
Manuel Martínez
  Spain
2008 Beijing
details
Tomasz Majewski
  Poland
Christian Cantwell
  United States
Dylan Armstrong
  Canada
2012 London
details
Tomasz Majewski
  Poland
David Storl
  Germany
Reese Hoffa
  United States
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Ryan Crouser
  United States
Joe Kovacs
  United States
Tom Walsh
  New Zealand
2020 Tokyo
details
Ryan Crouser
  United States
Joe Kovacs
  United States
Tom Walsh
  New Zealand
2024 Paris
details
Ryan Crouser
  United States
Joe Kovacs
  United States
Rajindra Campbell
  Jamaica

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Ryan Crouser   United States (USA) 2016–2024 3 0 0 3
Ralph Rose   United States (USA) 1904–1912 2 1 0 3
Parry O'Brien   United States (USA) 1952–1960 2 1 0 3
4 Tomasz Majewski   Poland (POL) 2008–2012 2 0 0 2
Joe Kovacs   United States (USA) 2016–2024 0 3 0 3
6 Bill Nieder   United States (USA) 1956–1960 1 1 0 2
Randy Matson   United States (USA) 1964–1968 1 1 0 2
Randy Barnes   United States (USA) 1988–1996 1 1 0 2
Adam Nelson   United States (USA) 2000–2004 1 1 0 2
10 Robert Garrett   United States (USA) 1896–1900 1 0 1 2
Dallas Long   United States (USA) 1960–1964 1 0 1 2
Udo Beyer   East Germany (GDR) 1976–1980 1 0 1 2
13 George Woods   United States (USA) 1968–1972 0 2 0 2
15 Aleksandr Baryshnikov   Soviet Union (URS) 1976–1980 0 1 1 2
John Godina   United States (USA) 1996–2000 0 1 1 2
17 Tom Walsh   New Zealand (NZL) 2016–2020 0 0 2 2
Jim Fuchs   United States (USA) 1948–1952 0 0 2 2

Medalists by country

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   United States (USA) 19 20 12 51
2   Poland (POL) 3 0 0 3
3   Finland (FIN) 2 2 0 4
4   East Germany (GDR) 2 0 2 4
5   Soviet Union (URS) 1 2 2 5
6   Germany (GER) 1 1 2 4
7   Italy (ITA) 1 0 0 1
8   Greece (GRE) 0 1 1 2
9=   Denmark (DEN) 0 1 0 1
9=   Great Britain (GBR) 0 1 0 1
11   Czechoslovakia (TCH) 0 0 2 2
12=   Belarus (BLR) 0 0 1 1
12=   Hungary (HUN) 0 0 1 1
12=   Jamaica (JAM) 0 0 1 1
12=   New Zealand (NZL) 0 0 1 1
12=   Spain (ESP) 0 0 1 1
12=   Switzerland (SUI) 0 0 1 1
12=   Ukraine (UKR) 0 0 1 1
12=   Unified Team (EUN) 0 0 1 1

Women

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Games Gold Silver Bronze
1948 London
details
Micheline Ostermeyer
  France
Amelia Piccinini
  Italy
Ina Schäffer
  Austria
1952 Helsinki
details
Galina Zybina
  Soviet Union
Marianne Werner
  Germany
Klavdiya Tochonova
  Soviet Union
1956 Melbourne
details
Tamara Tyshkevich
  Soviet Union
Galina Zybina
  Soviet Union
Marianne Werner
  United Team of Germany
1960 Rome
details
Tamara Press
  Soviet Union
Johanna Lüttge
  United Team of Germany
Earlene Brown
  United States
1964 Tokyo
details
Tamara Press
  Soviet Union
Renate Culmberger
  United Team of Germany
Galina Zybina
  Soviet Union
1968 Mexico City
details
Margitta Gummel
  East Germany
Marita Lange
  East Germany
Nadezhda Chizhova
  Soviet Union
1972 Munich
details
Nadezhda Chizhova
  Soviet Union
Margitta Gummel
  East Germany
Ivanka Khristova
  Bulgaria
1976 Montreal
details
Ivanka Khristova
  Bulgaria
Nadezhda Chizhova
  Soviet Union
Helena Fibingerová
  Czechoslovakia
1980 Moscow
details
Ilona Slupianek
  East Germany
Svetlana Krachevskaya
  Soviet Union
Margitta Pufe
  East Germany
1984 Los Angeles
details
Claudia Losch
  West Germany
Mihaela Loghin
  Romania
Gael Martin
  Australia
1988 Seoul
details
Natalya Lisovskaya
  Soviet Union
Kathrin Neimke
  East Germany
Li Meisu
  China
1992 Barcelona
details
Svetlana Krivelyova
  Unified Team
Huang Zhihong
  China
Kathrin Neimke
  Germany
1996 Atlanta
details
Astrid Kumbernuss
  Germany
Sui Xinmei
  China
Irina Khudoroshkina
  Russia
2000 Sydney
details
Yanina Karolchik
  Belarus
Larisa Peleshenko
  Russia
Astrid Kumbernuss
  Germany
2004 Athens
details
Yumileidi Cumbá
  Cuba
Nadine Kleinert
  Germany
Not awarded[1]
2008 Beijing
details
Valerie Vili
  New Zealand
Misleydis González
  Cuba
Gong Lijiao
  China
2012 London
details
Valerie Adams
  New Zealand
Gong Lijiao
  China
Li Ling
  China
2016 Rio de Janeiro
details
Michelle Carter
  United States
Valerie Adams
  New Zealand
Anita Márton
  Hungary
2020 Tokyo
details
Gong Lijiao
  China
Raven Saunders
  United States
Valerie Adams
  New Zealand
2024 Paris
details
Yemisi Ogunleye
  Germany
Maddi Wesche
  New Zealand
Song Jiayuan
  China

Multiple medalists

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Rank Athlete Nation Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Valerie Adams   New Zealand (NZL) 2008–2020 2 1 1 4
2 Tamara Press   Soviet Union (URS) 1960–1964 2 0 0 2
3= Galina Zybina   Soviet Union (URS) 1952–1964 1 1 1 3
3= Nadezhda Chizhova   Soviet Union (URS) 1968–1976 1 1 1 3
5 Margitta Gummel   East Germany (GDR) 1968–1972 1 1 0 2
6= Ivanka Khristova   Bulgaria (BUL) 1972–1976 1 0 1 2
6= Astrid Kumbernuss   Germany (GER) 1996–2000 1 0 1 2
8= Marianne Werner   Germany (GER) 1952–1956 0 1 1 2
8= Kathrin Neimke   East Germany (GDR)
  Germany (GER)
1988–1992 0 1 1 2

Medalists by country

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Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1   Soviet Union (URS) 6 3 3 12
2   East Germany (GDR) 2 2 1 6
3   New Zealand (NZL) 2 1 1 4
4   Belarus (BLR) 1 1 1 3
5=   Bulgaria (BUL) 1 0 1 2
5=   United States (USA) 1 1 1 3
7=   Cuba (CUB) 1 0 0 1
7=   France (FRA) 1 0 0 1
7=   Unified Team (EUN) 1 0 0 1
7=   West Germany (FRG) 1 0 0 1
11   Germany (GER)[nb] 0 4 3 7
12   China (CHN) 0 2 2 4
13   Russia (RUS) 0 2 1 3
14=   Italy (ITA) 0 1 0 1
14=   Romania (ROM) 0 1 0 1
16=   Australia (AUS) 0 0 1 1
16=   Austria (AUT) 0 0 1 1
16=   Czechoslovakia (TCH) 0 0 1 1

Intercalated Games

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The 1906 Intercalated Games were held in Athens and at the time were officially recognised as part of the Olympic Games series, with the intention being to hold a games in Greece in two-year intervals between the internationally held Olympics. However, this plan never came to fruition and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) later decided not to recognise these games as part of the official Olympic series. Some sports historians continue to treat the results of these games as part of the Olympic canon.[2]

At this event a men's shot put was held and Martin Sheridan of the United States won the competition. Hungary's Mihály Dávid was the runner-up while Swedish thrower Eric Lemming was the bronze medalist.[3]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
details
  Martin Sheridan (USA)   Mihály Dávid (HUN)   Eric Lemming (SWE)

A stone throw event, similar to the shot put, was also contested for the first and only time at an Olympic event. Athletes were allowed to throw rather than put the implement, which weighed 14 pounds (6.35 kg). Nikolaos Georgantas won the event for the host nation, while Sheridan (filling in for his absent team mate, Jim Mitchel) placed second. Another Greek, Mikhail Dorizas, came third.[4]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1906 Athens
details
  Nikolaos Georgantas (GRE)   Martin Sheridan (USA)   Mikhail Dorizas (GRE)

Two-handed shot put

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At the 1912 Stockholm Olympics a two-handed variant of the standard shot put competition took place. Each athlete had three attempts at the shot using each hand and their score was calculated by adding their best performances for the left and right hands. It featured two rounds, with the top three after the first round receiving a further three attempts with each arm.[5]

Ralph Rose, a two-time Olympic champion in the standard shot put, topped the competition. Pat McDonald, who defeated Rose in the 1912 regular shot put final, took the silver medal.[6] Elmer Niklander of Finland came third and went on to place in the top four of all the Olympic shot put and discus events that year.[7]

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1912 Athens
details
  Ralph Rose (USA)   Pat McDonald (USA)   Elmer Niklander (FIN)

References

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Participation and athlete data
Olympic record progressions
Specific
  1. ^ Athens 2004 Athletics Medalists. Olympic.org. Retrieved on 2014-04-19.
  2. ^ 1906 Athina Summer Games. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-01-26.
  3. ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Shot Put. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  4. ^ Athletics at the 1906 Athina Summer Games: Men's Stone Throw. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  5. ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands Qualifying Round. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  6. ^ Athletics at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Shot Put, Both Hands. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
  7. ^ Elmer Niklander. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2014-04-18.
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