Athletics Stats: Top ten men’s best shot put marks of all time

Shot put is a track and field sporting event that requires throwing a heavy metal ball termed the shot as far as possible. For men, the shot weighs about 7.26 kg, and for women, it weighs 4 kg. It is made of brass, iron, or a synthetic material. With just one hand and a seven-foot throwing circle, the shot must be thrown as far as possible. The distance from the inner edge of the throwing circle to the spot where the shot landed is measured as the longest throw. The origins of the shot put can be dated back to ancient Greece and Celtic culture. 

Shot put was once a part of military training, and it was used to assess troops’ strength and throwing abilities. In the ancient Olympics, the shot put was one of five events that made up the Pentathlon. The men’s shot put event was added to the Olympic program in 1896 at the Athens Games, and the women’s shot put event was added in 1948. The shot put has changed in both style and technique over time. The majority of throwers now use the glide technique, which includes a sequence of linear motions to create momentum before the throw instead of the previous spin approach.

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Greatest Shot Putters in the world

When it comes to men’s shot putters, some of the notable athletes are Randy Barnes, Ulf Timmermann, Ryan Crouser, and Joseph Kovacs. Barnes held the world record for 31 years before it was broken by Crouser in 2021. Crouser is the current world record holder and a two-time Olympic champion and is considered one of the greatest shot putters of all time. 

In women’s shot put, some of the greatest athletes include Natalya Lisovskaya, Valerie Adams, and Gong Lijiao. Lisovskaya held the world record for over 35 years and claimed a gold medal in Olympic and World Championships. Valerie Adams is the most successful female shot putter in terms of achievements having won two Olympic golds, four World Championships gold medals in both outdoor and indoor events, and three Commonwealth Games golds.

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Top ten men’s best shot put marks of all-time

Although the event has witnessed many legendary athletes, the reigning World and Olympic champion Ryan Crouser has been the most dominant athlete in the sport’s history. Presently, out of the top 12 best marks in the men’s shot put, he has eight best marks. This implies the strong impact that he has produced since his professional debut.

On February 18, 2023, he threw the shot to a gigantic mark of 23.38 at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho. It was the farthest throw ever but needed to go through the ratification process in order to be considered a World record. However, the World Athletics recently announced that the throw will not be counted as a world record as the shot put ring was too large and the landing area was too downhill from the ring. 

Although Crouser’s mark was considered legal, he is one of the greatest athletes and will continue to shine. Thus, we take a look at the top ten men’s best shot put marks of all time.

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