Discus throw

Discus throw was first staged during the 37th Olympiad, in 632 BC, and was one of the most popular pentathlon events. It originates in hunting and martial life. The earliest discuses were round or lentoid, made of stone, whereas from the late 6th c. BC onwards, the metal discus was established that was usually made of bronze and more rarely lead, 0.17 to 0.23m in diameter and 0.014m in thickness. A discus’ weight varied between 1.26 and 6.63kg, as some of them were used in men’s events, while others were intended for boys’ competitions. In addition, discuses that served as votive offerings dedicated by athletes have been recovered.

Wooden discuses were employed for training. The three official discuses used in the ancient Olympic Games were kept in the Treasury of the Sicyonians and weighed between four and five kilos. Discus throw was performed in the stadium. The contestant dusted his hands and the discus with dirt so that the object would not slip out of his hand and took his position at the balbis, the point, the line or the raised ground from which the throw was measured. Either the final landing point or, more likely, the spot at which the discus first touched the ground was marked with a peg. Then the distance between the balbis and the peg was measured.

The moments before the throw were indeed spectacular, as the discus-thrower took a succession of complex poses, bending and twisting his body, swinging the discus before hurling it.