The discus throw, also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight — called a discus — in an attempt to mark a farther distance than other competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by the fifth-century-BC Myron statue Discobolus. Although not part of the current pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient Greek pentathlon, which can be dated back to at least 708 BC, and it is part of the modern decathlon.
Natalya Ivanovna Sadova is a Russian discus thrower who has competed in many Olympic Games.
Wolfgang Schmidt is a German former track and field athlete who competed for East Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics and won the silver medal in the discus throw. A former world record holder, he also won several medals at the European Athletics Championships. Schmidt made headlines in 1982 due to his failed attempt to escape from East Germany. He later competed for the Federal Republic of Germany and won third place in the 1990 European Athletics Championships. Born in Berlin, he competed for the SC Dynamo Berlin / Sportvereinigung (SV) Dynamo.
Ehsan Haddadi is a former Iranian discus thrower. His height is 193 cm and his weight is 127 kg.
Venne "Verner" Järvinen was a Finnish track and field athlete, who competed mostly in throwing events. He won the gold medal in the Greek-style discus in the 1906 Intercalated Games, and the bronze in the 1908 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Finnish Olympic medalist in athletics. He won the Finnish championship in Greek style discus three times in 1909–1911 and held the national record in discus and hammer throw.
Dani Stevens is a retired Australian discus thrower who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event. She is the current national and Oceanian record holder.
Vikas Shive Gowda is an Indian discus thrower and shot putter. Born in Mysore, he grew up in Frederick, Maryland in the United States. His father, Shive Gowda, coached the 1988 Indian Olympic track team. Vikas Gowda is a Padma Shri awardee in 2017.
Martin Marić is a Croatian track and field athlete who competes in the discus throw. He has a personal best of 67.92 m, achieved in April 2014 in Chula Vista, California. He also has 72.31 m in the javelin throw, achieved in May 2006. Martin Marić has been a throws coach at the University of Virginia Since 2012. Maric spent the springs of 2010 and 2011 as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Florida.
Sandra Perković Elkasević is a Croatian discus thrower. She is a two-time Olympic and world champion and a record six-time European champion which no other female athlete achieved. She is also a six-time Diamond League winner, prevailing in 46 circuit's meetings.
Mason Finley, is an American shot putter and discus thrower. He was on the track and field team at the University of Kansas before transferring to the University of Wyoming. He qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics in discus.
Raoua Tlili is a Paralympian athlete from Tunisia competing mainly in category F41 shot put and discus events and is a multi gold medalist at the Paralympics.
In India, the sport of athletics was introduced during the period of the British Raj. The sport is governed at national level by the Athletics Federation of India, which was formed in 1946. Despite its large population, few Indian athletes have won a medal in a global or major championship. This began to change in the 21st century, when Indians started taking greater interest in athletics more generally and improved facilities for the sport began to be built at a local level. At a continental level, it has been among the more successful Asian nations, though some distance behind China and Japan.
Harald "Slaktarn" Andersson was a Swedish discus thrower. In 1934 he won a European title and held the world record for eight months. The same year he was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal.
Andressa Oliveira de Morais is a Brazilian athlete specializing in the discus throw. With a throw of 64.21 meters she achieved at the 2012 Ibero-American Championships she became the South American record holder.
Lukas Weißhaidinger is an Austrian discus thrower and shot putter. He was European junior discus champion in 2011 and holds the Austrian record in men's discus throw. He won bronze medals at the 2018 European Championships, 2019 World Athletics Championships, and 2020 Summer Olympics.
Daniel Ståhl is a Swedish athlete specialising in the discus throw. Ståhl is the Olympic champion and two-time world champion, setting the new championships record in Budapest.
Lucienne Velu-Chapillon, Mrs Odoul was a French athlete and basketball player. She was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2011. She was born Paris and died in Quincy-sous-Senart.
Carla Sue Garrett is a former American female weightlifter and discus thrower representing the United States in both sports at international competitions.
Josephine de la Viña was a discus thrower from the Philippines who is considered as her country's greatest athlete in the event. She won gold medals in her pet event at the 1966 Asian Games and 1973 Asian Athletics Championships. She also competed at the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics.
Isabel Avellán was an Argentine athlete. She competed in the women's discus throw at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
