| Sport | Hammer throw |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Ceased | 2019 |
| Continent | Global |
| Official website | Hammer Throw |
The IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was an annual hammer throw series, organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from 2010 until the end of 2019 season. The series of hammer throw competitions for men and women were primary held at meetings with IAAF World Challenge status. The rankings were decided by combining the total (in metres) of each athlete's three greatest throws at the permit events during the season. Further points could be gained by those who broke or equalled the world record mark for the event. [1]
The competition's creation was a result of the IAAF Golden League being replaced by the IAAF Diamond League in 2010 – hammer throw was the sole track and field event not to feature on the new top level circuit. The challenge was designed to allow hammer throwers to compete in a global seasonal competition, similar to that found for other track and field events on the Diamond League. In 2020, World Athletics launched the World Continental Tour including hammer throw competitions.
The total prize money available in 2010 was US$202,000, split evenly between male and female athletes. The male and female winners each received $30,000, while second and third placed athletes were entitled to $20,000 and $14,000 respectively. Increasingly smaller prizes were given to the remaining throwers who rank in the top twelve. [1] [2] The eleven meetings which had permit status in 2010 offered either a men's contest, a women's contest, or both – an arrangement which gave athletes of each sex a total of seven opportunities to score points for the challenge. [1]
The most successful athlete of the series was Poland's Anita Włodarczyk, who won the women's title six times straight from 2013 to 2018. [3] Her compatriot Paweł Fajdek was the most successful man, with five victories. [4] Germany's Betty Heidler and Hungarian Krisztián Pars have each won the title on three occasions. Fajdek holds the men's series record score of 248.48 metres while Włodarczyk is the women's series record holder with 240.44 metres.
| Edition | Year | Start date | End date | Meets | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010 | 24 April | 1 September | 11 | [5] |
| 2 | 2011 | 8 May | 13 September | 9 | [6] |
| 3 | 2012 | 6 May | 9 September | 8 | [7] |
| 4 | 2013 | 5 May | 8 September | 15 | [8] |
| 5 | 2014 | 11 May | 7 September | 13 | [9] |
| 6 | 2015 | 21 March | 13 September | 14 | [10] |
| 7 | 2016 | 5 March | 19 August | 11 | [11] |
| 8 | 2017 | 21 May | 11 August | 9 | [12] |
| 9 | 2018 | 19 May | 22 August | 10 | [13] |
| 10 | 2019 | 28 April | 2 October | 10 | [14] |
Key:
The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and javelin.
Betty Heidler is a retired German track and field athlete who competed in the hammer throw. She held the world record from 2011 until 2014 with her personal best throw of 79.42 m. She is the 2012 Olympic silver medallist, the 2007 World champion and the 2009 and 2011 World Championship silver medallist. She also finished fourth in the Olympic finals in 2004 and 2016.
Anita Włodarczyk is a Polish hammer thrower. She is the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympic champion, and the first woman in history to throw the hammer over 80 m; she currently holds the women's world record of 82.98 m. She is considered the greatest women's hammer thrower of all time.
The 2010 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the inaugural edition of the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge, an international series of hammer throw competitions around the world.
The women's hammer throw competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 8–10 August. Each athlete receives three throws in the qualifying round. All who achieve the qualifying distance progress to the final. If less than twelve athletes achieve this mark, then the twelve furthest throwing athletes reach the final. Each finalist is allowed three throws in last round, with the top eight athletes after that point being given three further attempts.
The Janusz Kusociński Memorial is an annual track and field meeting at different venues in Poland, in recent times at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland.
Paweł Fajdek is a Polish hammer thrower, a five-time World Champion, European Champion, Olympic bronze medal winner, multiple Polish Champion and Polish men's hammer throw record holder. In 2013, he became the youngest world champion in the event. His personal best throw of 83.93 metres was achieved on 9 August 2015 at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Szczecin.
The women's hammer throw event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on September 2 and 4.
The women's hammer throw at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 14–16 August.
The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athletics. It was held between 27 September and 6 October 2019 in Doha, Qatar, at the renovated multi-purpose Khalifa International Stadium, but reduced to 21,000 available seats. 1,772 athletes from 206 teams competed in 49 athletics events over the ten-day competition, comprising 24 events each for men and women, plus a mixed relay. There were 43 track and field events, 4 racewalking events, and 2 marathon road running events. The racewalking and marathon events were held in Doha Corniche.
The women's hammer throw competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event was held at the Olympic Stadium on 12–15 August. Each athlete received three throws in the qualifying round. All who achieved the qualifying distance progressed to the final. Each finalist was allowed three throws in last round, with the top eight athletes after that point being given three further attempts.
The women's hammer throw at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 26 and 27 August.
The 2011 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the second edition of the annual, global series of hammer throw competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The winners were Krisztián Pars of Hungary and Betty Heidler of Germany. Heidler retained her title from 2010, making her the first athlete to win the series twice. Both the final scores were records for the challenge.
The 2012 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the third edition of the annual, global series of hammer throw competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The winners were Krisztián Pars of Hungary and Betty Heidler of Germany. Both retained their titles from 2011 and for Heidler this was a third straight victory. Both the final scores were records for the challenge.
The 2013 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the fourth edition of the annual, global series of hammer throw competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The winners were Paweł Fajdek and Anita Włodarczyk, both of Poland. Both the final scores were records for the challenge.
The 2014 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the fifth edition of the annual, global series of hammer throw competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The winners were Krisztián Pars of Hungary and Anita Włodarczyk of Poland. This was Włodarczyk's second title, defending her win from the previous year, and a third career win for Pars. Pars also regained the position of challenge record holder, improving on the total set by Paweł Fajdek in 2013. Włodarczyk was the stand out courtesy of her hammer throw world record of 79.58 m at the ISTAF Berlin meet.
The 2015 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge was the sixth edition of the annual, global series of hammer throw competitions organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. The winners were Paweł Fajdek and Anita Włodarczyk, both of Poland. This was Włodarczyk's third straight title and Fajdek's second title, after his win in 2013. Fajdek and Włodarczyk each improved the challenge record totals. Włodarczyk twice broke the hammer throw world record that year, but these marks were achieved outside of the series.
The men's hammer throw event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place between 2 and 4 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. Approximately 35 athletes were expected to compete; the exact number was dependent on how many nations used universality places to enter athletes in addition to the 32 qualifying through distance or ranking. 31 athletes from 21 nations competed. Wojciech Nowicki of Poland won the gold medal, adding to his 2016 bronze to become the 15th man to earn multiple hammer throw medals. It was Poland's second gold medal in the event, after Szymon Ziółkowski's 2000 victory. Nowicki's countryman Paweł Fajdek took bronze. Between them was Norwegian thrower Eivind Henriksen, with his silver being Norway's first-ever Olympic medal in the men's hammer.
The women's hammer throw event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 1 and 3 August 2021 at the Japan National Stadium. Approximately 35 athletes competed; the exact number was dependent on how many nations use universality places to enter athletes in addition to the 32 qualifying through distance or ranking.
The men's hammer throw at the 2019 World Athletics Championships was held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, from 1 to 2 October 2019.
