| During the Homeric times, discus and javelin were the most popular throwing events.
Today, the javelin looks slightly different. A javelin thrower runs with the javelin in one hand held horizontal at the height of his/her head to the throwing line. The thrower who manages to throw the javelin the farthest, wins. The men’s javelin weighs 0.8 kg and the women’s javelin 0.6 kg.
Shot put derives from the ancient Greek sport of throwing stones. The shot is thrown from a cement throwing circle of 2.13 m diameter. The men’s shot weighs 7.26 kg and the women’s shot 4 kg.
The word "discus" comes from the ancient Greek word "diskos". The discus is thrown from a cement throwing circle of 2.5 m diameter. To avoid risk to the spectators, the circle is surrounded for three quarters of its perimeter with a netting cage to a height of at least 4 m. The men’s discus weighs 2 kg and the women’s 1 kg.
Hammer-throwing can be traced to Scotland. Today the hammer (an iron ball on the end of a metal wire) looks very different but the technique and principles behind the event are the same. The men’s hammer weighs 7.26 kg and the women’s hammer 4 kg.
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