Weight throw

File:Weight throw, 2002 Celtic Festival.jpg

Weight throw (Highland games version) at 2002 Celtic Festival

Weight throw (or Weight for distance) is a traditional strength sport and throwing event derived from ancient Scottish Highland games. Unlike its other counterpart, the Weight over bar which involves a stationary pendulum like swing for height, the Weight throw involves a full body rotation and throwing of a metal ball attached to a handle via a chain, for the furthest distance. It has been used both in Highland games (Template:Langx) as well as in track and field.

Highland games version permits the use of only one hand, and the athletes are required to rotate and throw under two disciplines: either (light version/ light weight) or (heavy version/ heavy weight), both for distance. For women, the weights differ, with for light weight and for heavy weight, while for masters and junior men categories, the weight commonly used is .

In the track and field version (which is most popular in the United States as an indoor equivalent to the hammer throw), the athletes are permitted to use both hands and the athletes are required to rotate and throw for men and for women for distance. However, it is not recognized by World Athletics, despite being included twice in 1904 and 1920 Olympic games.

Highland games version

File:Weight Throw Austin Celtic Festival Texas 2023.jpg

An athlete releasing the weight during the Weight throw event at Austin Celtic festival Highland games.

In the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight (usually spherical or cylindrical) attached by a short chain to a metal handle. The handle may be a d-ring, a triangle or a ring. The size of the weight depends on the class of the competition.

For open class male athletes, the light weight is 28 lb, or two stone (12.7 kg). The heavy weight is 56 lb, or four stone (25.4 kg). For male master class or senior athletes, the weights are . For all female athletes, the weights are for the light and heavy versions, respectively. Athletics Ireland also recognizes 35 lb (15.9 kg) as the weight for men below 18 years.

The weight is thrown from a rectangular (4.5 feet by 9 feet) area behind a toe board or trig. The athlete must stay behind the trig at all times during the throw. The techniques vary, but usually involve a turning or spinning motion to increase momentum before the release. Each athlete gets three attempts, with places determined by the best throw.

World records

• Light weight for by Spencer Tyler Template:Flagicon (2019 US Invitational Pleasanton)
• Heavy weight for by Spencer Tyler Template:Flagicon (2019 New Hampshire Highland Games)

→ Having broken the two records a combined seven times (four times with the light weight and three times with the heavy weight), Tyler is widely regarded as the undisputed greatest of all time at this event. Some other all-time greats of the two disciplines who have held both records are Francis Brebner, Hamish Davidson and Bill Anderson.

Progression of the world records

Light weight

Distance	Holder	Year	Location
	Template:Flagicon Bill Anderson	1966	Crieff, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Hamish Davidson	1978	(To be confirmed)
	Template:Flagicon Geoff Capes	1983	Drumtochty, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Geoff Capes	1987	Kilbirnie, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1996	Anne Arundel, Maryland, USA
	Template:Flagicon Matt Sandford	1999	Estes Park, Colorado, USA
	Template:Flagicon Gregor Edmunds	2011	Markinch, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2018	Topeka, Kansas, USA
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2018	(To be confirmed)
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2019	Long Beach, California, USA
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2019	Pleasanton, California, USA

Heavy weight

Distance	Holder	Year	Location
	Template:Flagicon Bill Anderson	1969	Aboyne, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Hamish Davidson	1981	(To be confirmed)
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1990	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1991	Dufftown, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1992	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1993	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1996	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1998	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Karl Dodge	1998	Kiowa, Colorado, USA
	Template:Flagicon Francis Brebner	1999	Tomintoul, Scotland
	Template:Flagicon Ryan Vierra	2002	Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA
	Template:Flagicon Ryan Vierra	2005	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
	Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure	2005	Huntersville, North Carolina, USA
	Template:Flagicon Eric Frasure	2008	Portland, Oregon, USA
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2016	Portland, Oregon, USA
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2018	Columbus, Ohio, USA
	Template:Flagicon Spencer Tyler	2019	Lincoln, New Hampshire, USA

Track and field version

File:John Flannigan of the Greater New York Irish Athletic Association performing the 56 pound hammer throw at the 1904 Olympics.jpg

John Flannigan throwing the 56-pound weight at the 1904 Olympics.

The Weight throw has been featured twice under the name of '56 pound weight throw' at the Olympic Games.

First was in 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis, and then in 1920 Summer Olympics held in Antwerp. Étienne Desmarteau and Pat McDonald emerged champions respectively.

Furthest throws in history

Key:

• O = Outdoor performance
• A = affected by altitude

Men

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Daniel Haugh	Template:Flagu	16 February 2024	Albuquerque
2	Template:T&Fcalc	Lance Deal	Template:Flagu	4 March 1995	Atlanta
3	Template:T&Fcalc	Libor Charfreitag	Template:Flagu	5 March 2005	Sterling
4	Template:T&Fcalc	Michael Lihrman	Template:Flagu	28 February 2015	Geneva
5	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Conor McCullough	Template:Flagu	14 February 2020	Albuquerque
6	Template:T&Fcalc	A. G. Kruger	Template:Flagu	20 January 2012	Findlay
7	Template:T&Fcalc O	Jüri Tamm	Template:Flagu	11 July 1992	Mäntyharju
8	Template:T&Fcalc	Kibwé Johnson	Template:Flagu	24 February 2008	Boston
9	Template:T&Fcalc	Daniel Reynolds	Template:Flagu	14 March 2025	Virginia Beach
10	Template:T&Fcalc	Scott Russell	Template:Flagu	8 February 2002	Ames
11	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Daniel Roberts	Template:Flagu	14 February 2020	Albuquerque
12	Template:T&Fcalc	Trey Knight	Template:Flagu	14 March 2025	Virginia Beach
13	Template:T&Fcalc	Jake Freeman	Template:Flagu	12 February 2009	Riverdale
		Ryan Johnson	Template:Flagu	14 March 2025	Virginia Beach
15	Template:T&Fcalc	Thomas Mardal	Template:Flagu	11 March 2021	Fayetteville
16	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Israel Oloyede	Template:Flagu	22 January 2022	Albuquerque
17	Template:T&Fcalc	Andras Haklits	Template:Flagu	9 March 2001	Fayetteville
18	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Alex Young	Template:Flagu	14 February 2020	Albuquerque
19	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Isaiah Rogers	Template:Flagu	16 February 2024	Albuquerque
20	Template:T&Fcalc	Garland Porter	Template:Flagu	4 February 2011	Findlay
21	Template:T&Fcalc	Chukwuebuka Enekwechi	Template:Flagu	13 February 2015	West Lafayette
		Jud Logan	Template:Flagu	28 February 1992	Princeton
		Kenneth Ikeji	Template:Flagu	24 February 2024	Cambridge
24	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr O	Cory Martin	Template:Flagu	27 February 2010	Albuquerque
	Template:T&Fcalc	Gleb Dudarev	Template:Flagu	23 January 2020	Lawrence

Notes

Below is a list of additional performances (excluding ancillary throws) equal or superior to 24.48 m:

• Lance Deal also threw Template:T&Fcalc (1996), Template:T&Fcalc (1991), Template:T&Fcalc (1995), Template:T&Fcalc (1993) and Template:T&Fcalc (1993).
• Daniel Haugh also threw Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr (2023), Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr (2020), Template:T&Fcalc (2022), Template:T&Fcalc (2020).
• Libor Charfreitag also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2005), Template:T&Fcalc (2008), Template:T&Fcalc (2003), Template:T&Fcalc (2011), Template:T&Fcalc (2003) and Template:T&Fcalc (2005).
• Kibwé Johnson also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2007).
• Alfred Kruger also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2010), Template:T&Fcalc (2007) and Template:T&Fcalc (2012).
• Mike Lihrman also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2015).
• Conor McCullough also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2018).

Women

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	DeAnna Price	Template:Flagu	17 February 2023	Albuquerque
2	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Erin Reese	Template:Flagu	17 February 2024	Albuquerque
3	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Gwen Berry	Template:Flagu	4 March 2017	Albuquerque
	Template:T&Fcalc	Janeah Stewart	Template:Flagu	21 January 2023	Nashville
5	Template:T&Fcalc	Brittany Riley	Template:Flagu	10 March 2007	Fayetteville
6	Template:T&Fcalc	Shey Taiwo	Template:Flagu	11 March 2022	Birmingham
7	Template:T&Fcalc	Oyesade Olatoye	Template:Flagu	10 February 2023	Nashville
8	Template:T&Fcalc	Rachel Tanczos	Template:Flagu	3 February 2024	Notre Dame
9	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Brooke Andersen	Template:Flagu	4 February 2023	State College
10	Template:T&Fcalc	Jasmine Mitchell	Template:Flagu	11 March 2022	Birmingham
11	Template:T&Fcalc	Jalani Davis	Template:Flagu	7 March 2024	Boston
12	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Amber Campbell	Template:Flagu	25 February 2012	Albuquerque
	Template:T&Fcalc	Annette Echikunwoke	Template:Flagu	16 February 2018	Columbus
14	Template:T&Fcalc	Erin Gilreath	Template:Flagu	25 February 2005	Boston
15	Template:T&Fcalc	Kaitlyn Long	Template:Flagu	24 February 2018	Geneva
16	Template:T&Fcalc	Jeneva Stevens	Template:Flagu	19 January 2018	Nashville
17	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Felisha Johnson	Template:Flagu	4 March 2017	Albuquerque
	Template:T&Fcalc	Annie Nabwe	Template:Flagu	28 February 2025	Indianapolis
19	Template:T&Fcalc	Candice Scott	Template:Flagu	27 February 2005	Fayetteville
20	Template:T&Fcalc	Stamatía Skarvélis	Template:Flagu	23 February 2019	Fayetteville
		Camryn Rogers	Template:Flagu	11 March 2022	Birmingham
22	Template:T&Fcalc	Janee' Kasanavoid	Template:Flagu	21 January 2022	Manhattan
23	Template:T&Fcalc	Jennifer Dahlgren	Template:Flagu	10 March 2006	Fayetteville
	Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr	Jessica Ramsey	Template:Flagu	4 March 2017	Albuquerque
25	Template:T&Fcalc	Elisia Lancaster	Template:Flagu	19 January 2024	Bloomington

Notes

Below is a list of additional (indoor) performances (excluding ancillary throws) equal or superior to 24.20 m:

• Gwen Berry also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2018), Template:T&Fcalc (2018), Template:T&Fcalc (2017), Template:T&Fcalc (2013), Template:T&Fcalc (2016) and Template:T&Fcalc (2014).
• Brittany Riley also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2008), Template:T&Fcalc (2012), Template:T&Fcalc (2007) and Template:T&Fcalc (2012).
• Shey Taiwo also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2022).
• Janeah Stewart also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2019), Template:T&Fcalc (2020), Template:T&Fcalc (2019), Template:T&Fcalc (2019), Template:T&Fcalc (2020), Template:T&Fcalc (2020), Template:T&Fcalc (2024) and Template:T&Fcalc (2023).
• Brooke Andersen also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2023), Template:T&Fcalc (2024), Template:T&Fcalc (2024).
• Erin Reese also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2021), Template:T&Fcalc (2023).
• DeAnna Price also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2020), Template:T&Fcalc (2019), Template:T&Fcalc (2019), Template:T&Fcalc (2018) and Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr (2017).
• Amber Campbell also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2010), Template:T&Fcalc (2007), Template:T&Fcalc (2009), Template:T&Fcalc (2016) and Template:T&Fcalc (2010).
• Jalani Davis also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2023), Template:T&Fcalc Template:AthAbbr (2023).
• Rachel Tanczos also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2023), Template:T&Fcalc (2024).
• Annette Echikunwoke also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2023).
• Oyesade Olatoye also threw Template:T&Fcalc (2019).

Note that Gwen Berry threw 24.35 m in 2016 but the performance was annulled due to violation of anti-doping procedures

Other international competitions

Template:Sister project The event, held outdoors and indoors, is a World Championship and world record event in World Masters Athletics. Outdoors, it is also the final event of the Throws pentathlon. Masters athletics has different weight specifications for different age groups.

As an indoor event

The weight throw is an indoor track and field event, predominately in the US. The technique implemented to throw the weight is similar to that of the hammer throw in outdoor competition. In international competition, the men's weight is a 35 lb ball (25 for high school) with a D-ring or triangle handle attached directly to the weight. The technique in wide use is to start in a throwing circle with the thrower's back to the landing area. The weight is then swung overhead to gain momentum before transitioning into the spinning position. The thrower then turns heel to toe up to four times across the ring and toward the front of the circle. At the front of the circle, the thrower releases the weight over his/her shoulder and into the landing area. The landing area is a sector of 34.92° which is identical to the Hammer throw, Discus throw and Shot Put. Because of the demands of the landing area, USATF rules allow for the event as part of an indoor meet to be held outdoors. The world best for men is 25.41 m (outdoor) and (indoor) and is held by American Lance Deal. For women, who throw a weight of 20 lb, the world best is (outdoor) set by Brittany Riley of Southern Illinois University on 27 January 2007 and 25.60 m (indoor), by Gwen Berry, on 4 March 2017.

The weight throw event has had an enduring history in American track and field. It was a national championship event for men outdoors from 1878 to 1965. Despite the decline of such outdoor contests in the United States, the event has been a mainstay of the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships: the men's 35 lb event has been held from 1932 to present and a women's 20 lb weight throw event was introduced in 1991. The weight throw is also present on the event programme of the NCAA Men's and NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Superweight Throw uses implements similar in construction to the regular weight throw but with heavier implements. The event was part of two Olympic Games in 1904 and 1920. Though no longer officially sanctioned by World Athletics, it still is contested as a novelty event at various competitions, including the USATF Master's Indoor Championship.