Scottish hammer throw
Scottish hammer throw is a traditional throwing event derived from ancient Scottish Highland games. It involves heaving of an implement consisting of a wooden handle with a spherical weight attached to one end of it as far as possible.[1][2]
History, implement and technique
[edit | edit source]The event dates back centuries and is regarded the precursor to the modern track and field Hammer throw seen at Olympic games. However, the traditional Scottish hammer throw has distinct differences in both the implement and the technique.
The implement consists of a metal sphere weighing 16 lb (7 kg) or 22 lb (10 kg) for men, and 12 lb (5 kg) or 16 lb (7 kg) for women,[3] which is attached to the end of a shaft about 4 feet (1.2 metres) long made primarily of wood or occasionally bamboo, rattan or plastic.
With their back facing the field and feet in a fixed position,[4] competitors whirl the hammer around their head once, twice or thrice[5] and throw it over the shoulder, twisting the upper body nearly 180 degrees.[6] Hammer throwers sometimes employ specially designed footwear with flat blades[7] to dig into the turf to maintain their balance and resist the centrifugal forces of the implement as they whirl it. This substantially increases the attainable distance and is allowed by all Highland games federations.
World records
[edit | edit source]- 7.3 kg (16 lb) light hammer for 48.03 metres (157 ft 7 in) by Daniel McKim United States (2014 Utah Highland Games)[8]
- 10 kg (22 lb) heavy hammer for 40.31 metres (132 ft 3 in) by Daniel McKim United States (2014 Utah Highland Games)[8]
Holding both records, McKim arguably is the greatest of all time at this event. Some other all-time greats who have held both records are Matt Sandford, Stephen King and Bill Anderson.[9]
Progression of the world records
[edit | edit source]7.3 kg (16 lb) light hammer
[edit | edit source]| Distance | Holder | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46.08 metres (151 ft 2 in) | Scotland Bill Anderson | 1969 | Lochearnhead, Scotland |
| 46.66 metres (153 ft 1 in) | Scotland Bruce Aitken | 1997 | Pitlochry, Scotland |
| 46.68 metres (153 ft 2 in) | Scotland Stephen King | 1998 | Inverary, Scotland |
| 47.22 metres (154 ft 11 in) | Australia Matt Sandford | 1998 | Halkirk, Scotland |
| 47.62 metres (156 ft 3 in) | Australia Matt Sandford | 1999 | Estes Park, Colorado, USA |
| 47.76 metres (156 ft 8 in) | Scotland Bruce Aitken | 2000 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| 48.03 metres (157 ft 7 in) | United States Daniel McKim | 2014 | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
.svg){kind=link}
10 kg (22 lb) heavy hammer
[edit | edit source]| Distance | Holder | Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37.61 metres (123 ft 5 in) | Scotland Bill Anderson | 1969 | Crieff, Scotland |
| 37.70 metres (123 ft 8 in) | Scotland Grant Anderson | 1983 | Santa Rosa, California, USA |
| 38.13 metres (125 ft 1 in) | Scotland Stephen King | 1998 | Inverary, Scotland |
| 39.58 metres (129 ft 10 in) | Australia Matt Sandford | 1998 | Halkirk, Scotland |
| 39.61 metres (129 ft 11 in) | United States Daniel McKim | 2014 | New Mexico, USA |
| 40.31 metres (132 ft 3 in) | United States Daniel McKim | 2014 | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).