Throwing sports aren’t exactly prime time grabbers during the Olympics.   They don’t even make television programming any other time.  However, they’ve been around since the first Olympians competed in ancient Greece.  The concept is still the same, but the techniques have changed through the ages.  For the sports geek the interesting evolution of the throwing sports might be something worth knowing. 

The objects that are thrown haven’t changed.  The ancient Greeks threw the discus, shot put, hammer and javelin.  However, they did so from a different surface, and they used a different technique.  By the nineteenth century, discus throwers had a much more challenging sport that is present today.  These early Olympians stood on a metal rim that was off the ground.  The best way to throw was to stand still.  If the athlete moved to much, he might fall off.  Strength and control were key to winning.  Today, all throwers do so from a flat, smooth surface, and they wear flat, smooth shoes.

Now that the surface is flat, shot putters, discus throwers and hammer throwers spin to create more momentum.  The more inertia they can create, the further they can throw their object.  Shot putters keep the shot put close to their neck because the object is heavy.  Something so heavy, that is held away from the body to spin, would simply create drag and shorten the throw.  Hammer and discus throwers hold the objects away from the body to get maximum distance.

Although there have been some interesting evolutions in the javelin throwing, they proved to be a little unpredictable and dangerous for spectators, so it’s been ruled that the only way to throw the javelin is with a sprint down a straight track, thus thrusting more force behind the throw.  It may not be as interesting as the spins and wild launches of the other throwing sports objects, but it’s a whole lot safer for anyone watching.