Shot Put

A solid metal ball, 7.26 kilograms for men and 4 kilograms for women, put from a circle 2.135 metres across. The shot must be pushed from the shoulder with one hand and may not drop below shoulder level during the put; it has to land inside a 34.92-degree sector. Throwers use either the glide, a straight shift across the circle that dominated for decades, or the rotational technique borrowed from the discus, which most of the top men now prefer. Stepping out of the circle or onto the stop board voids the attempt. Distances are measured to the centimetre below. Wind plays no part, which is one reason shot put is also a full indoor event.