Introduction to Discus
Discus is an Ancient Greek sport that prized for displaying the male
athletes' precision and coordination
while combining phsyical strength. It
was introduced in the 708 B.C.E. Ancient Olympics as one of the
pentathlon events. The Greeks used bronze, iron, lead as well as
stone to make the discuses, which varied
due to the weight and age of the young and old men that competed.
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The discus itself is an unusual shape. It is a disc that has a
lenticular shape (like a lens) but is weighted at
the core. The weight is dependent on the sex and age of the thrower.
For international competitions, males
up until age 49 throw a 2 kg discus. From 50 - 59, the 1.5 kg discus
is thrown, and lastly men 60 and above
throw a 1 kg discus. Women, for all ages, throw a 1 kg discus.
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In the Summer of 1896, discus was as an event in the revived
Olympics Games in Athens, Greece. Since its revival in the Olympic
Games, the discus throw is now a pastime that is thoroughly enjoyed
and competed against throughout the world.
