Photo: Chell Hill—CC BY-SA 3.0
Randy Barnes
- Born
- Jun 16, 1966 (60 years old)
- Birthplace
- Charleston, United States
- Events
- Shot Put
- Height
- 1.93 m
- Weight
- 137 kg
Randy Barnes is an American former shot putter born on 16 June 1966 in Charleston, United States.
He held the outdoor world record in the shot put from 1990 to 2021, a mark so dominant that only three throwers have come within 40 centimetres of it since it was set.
Barnes enjoyed a distinguished Olympic career, winning a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Games and returning to claim gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His combination of raw power and technical excellence made him one of the most formidable shot putters the sport has ever seen.
As of Nov 2, 2026: Shot Put 23.12 (#3 all-time), 1998 season best 20.17 (Feb 21, 1998) · Olympic Games: 1 gold, 1 silver · World Championships: 1 silver, 1 bronze · 60 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
| World Championships | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | SP Indoor | 20.17 | – | Feb 21, 1998 | Sassnitz (GER) (i) |
| 1998 | SP | 20.17 | – | Feb 21, 1998 | – |
| 1997 | SP | 22.03 | – | Jun 12, 1997 | Indianapolis, IN (USA) |
| 1996 | SP | 22.40 | – | Jul 13, 1996 | Sestriere (ITA) |
| 1995 | SP | 21.30 | – | Aug 8, 1995 | IAAF World Championships |
| 1994 | SP | 20.82 | – | Apr 16, 1994 | El Paso, TX (USA) |
| 1993 | SP | 21.80 | – | Aug 21, 1993 | IAAF World Championships, Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion, Stuttgart |
| 1990 | SP | 23.12 | – | May 20, 1990 | Westwood, CA (USA) |