Hammer throw
| Athletics Hammer throw | |
|---|---|
| World records | |
| Men | Yuriy Sedykh 86.74 m (284 ft 6 in) (1986) |
| Women | Anita Włodarczyk 82.98 m (272 ft 2 in) (2016) |
| Olympic records | |
| Men | Sergey Litvinov 84.80 m (278 ft 2 in) (1988) |
| Women | Anita Włodarczyk 82.29 m (269 ft 11 in) (2016) |
| World Championship records | |
| Men | Ivan Tsikhan 83.63 m (274 ft 4 in) (2007) |
| Women | Anita Włodarczyk 80.85 m (265 ft 3 in) (2015) |
The hammer throw (HT for short) is one of the four throwing events in regular outdoor track-and-field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
The hammer used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that name. It consists of a metal ball attached by a steel wire to a grip. These three components are each separate and can move independently. Both the size and weight of the ball vary between men's and women's events. The women's hammer weighs 4 kilograms (8.8 lb) for college and professional meets while the men's hammer weighs 7.26 kilograms (16.0 lb).