| Landmarks |
First official
world record: 47.58 James Duncan USA 1912
First over 50m: 51.03 Eric Wenz USA 1930
First over 55m: 55.33 Adolfo Consolini ITA 1948
First over 60m: 60.56 Jay Silvester USA 1961
First over 200ft: 61.10 Al Oerter USA 1962
First over 65m: 65.22 Ludvik Danek TCH 1965
First over 70m: 70.24 Mac Wilkins USA 1976
First over 72/73/74m (current world record): 74.08 Jürgen Schult GDR 1986Most durable world record: 74.08 Jürgen Schult 1986 (14 years)
Most competitions over 70m: Mac Wilkins 10 |
| Superlatives |
Most Olympic
titles: 4 Al Oerter 1956/1960/1964/1968
Most World titles: 4 Lars Riedel GER 1991/1993/1995/1997
Youngest Olympic/World champion: Al Oerter 1956 (20) Oldest: Ludvik Danek 1972 (35) |
| Three all time greats |
Al Oerter (USA): One of the greatest of all Olympic competitors with his four
gold medals over a 12-year span. A former world record breaker, he produced his longest
throw of 69.46m in 1980 when aged 43! |
Jürgen Schult (GER): Winner of Olympic, world and European titles, he has been
world record holder with 74.08m since 1986 - and at 40 remains a world class competitor. |
Lars Riedel (GER): Olympic champion in 1996 (by a massive 2.80m margin), he also
has four consecutive world titles to his name, a hip muscle injury holding him back to
third place when bidding for a fifth. |
