Shot-put

Shot-put, track-and-field competition in which a weight, generally a solid metal ball, is thrown one-handed from the shoulder, using the whole weight of the body in the heave. Dating from ancient times, when stones were used as shots, the shot-put was made an official event of the first modern Olympic Games (1896). The shot is tossed (or put) from a 7-ft (2.1-m)-diameter circle and weighs 16 lb (7.3 kg) in men's competitions and 8 lb 13 oz (4 kg) in women's. The distance of the put is measured from the inside edge of the throwing circle to the nearest edge of the shot's first ground contact. The put is disqualified if the athlete steps on or outside the circle or allows the shot to fall below shoulder level.