History
The Oldest Events in the Olympic Games
The Dicus and Javelin Throw have an old and rich Tradition in the Olympic Games,
as they are two of the original events which athletes competed in. The statues
shown are naked due to the fact that Women were barred from competing in the games.
One year, a woman managed to sneak in. She was discovered, however, and from that
year on men competed naked to ensure that they were, in fact, men.
Recent History
Since the re-enstatement of the Olympic Games, the techniques used by throwers has varied and evolved quickly. Women now compete in every event as well as the men, even though the weight of the instruments varies greatly. For instance, women throw a 4 kg shotput and a 4 kg hammer (which is basically a shotput on a chain). Men throw a 7 kg shotput and a 7 kg hammer. A women's discus weighs 1 kg, a man's weighs 2 kg. Javelins also differ in weight, but because they are so light to begin with, the difference in weight is not as noticable. The throwing events have always been dominated by European countries, especially eastern countries, such as: Lithuania (home to Alekna), Germany, Estonia, Poland, and Russia. More and more, however, United States athletes have made serious headway due partly to shotput powerhouse Reese Hoffa and Cantwell. The Europeans have always been more focused on technique, whereas the US strategy has been one of brute force with bits of technique thrown in for good measure. The throwing events were dominated by the Germans in the 70s and 80s (both men and women) during the golden age of Anabolic Steroids. Both Germany and Russia took full advantage of steroids, and some world records set back in those days have yet to be broken.
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