by Chas Danner and Chris Bodenner
Former hammer-throwing Olympian Erin Gilreath elucidates the event:
Throwing heavy objects great distances is one of the oldest forms of competitive sport. The hammer throw became a regular part of track and field competitions in England, Scotland and Ireland in 1866. It became an Olympic event for men in 1900, but women would have to wait another century for their chance to compete at that level. Even now the hammer throw remains among the most obscure sports in the United States, where it falls almost entirely to the collegiate system to develop elite throwers.
She calls the sport "democratic" in that there is no one body type required for success. Her attraction to the sport is almost mystical:
Hammer technique is a living, breathing thing, something inside that I was constantly trying to coax out using different cues and training methods. The same cues rarely worked from one day to the next. Throwing the hammer is a puzzle, and the pieces only get smaller as you learn more about it. It is frustrating and engrossing. I don’t know if other hammer throwers share my love-hate relationship with the event, but I suspect they do.
When people see the hammer throw for the first time, they invariably think, "That is so cool!" You have no idea. It is difficult to describe how awesome it feels. There’s something about throwing the hammer well that is satisfying, even gratifying, at an almost cellular level. … The first time a hammer thrower gets even an inkling of what a perfect throw fees like, they’ll chase that feeling for the rest of their career.
Non-Olympian blogger Rhett Allain takes a more scientific approach to the sport:
[It's] a lot like a particle accelerator. For those who may not be familiar with the hammer throw, here’s a quick rundown:
– Men throw a 16-pound ball affixed to a cable that’s 3 feet, 11.75 inches
– Women throw an 8.82-pound ball affixed to a cable that’s 3 feet, 11 inches
– Competitors stand in a circle 2.12 meters in diameter and swing the hammer, spinning one to four times before releasing it.
– The world record for men is 86.74 meters, set by Yuriy Sedykh in 1986. For women, the record is 79.42 meters, set last year by Betty Heidler.
Watch Sedykh's world record here. Gilreath is seen above. More hammer-throws here.
The Dish 