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.
Dilshod Jamoliddinovich Nazarov is a Tajik track and field athlete who specializes in the hammer throw. He has represented his country at the Olympic Games on four occasions, winning the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro, the first gold medal for Tajikistan in the history of the Olympic Games.
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 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge is an annual hammer throw series, organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. First held in 2010, the series of hammer throw competitions for men and women are primary held at meetings with IAAF World Challenge status. The rankings are decided by combining the total of each athlete's three greatest throws at the permit events during the season. Further points can be gained by those who break or equal the world record mark for the event.
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.
Germany competed at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics from August 27 to September 4 in Daegu, South Korea.
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 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 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 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.
Olga Kuzenkova (RUS)
Mihaela Melinte (ROM)
Anita Włodarczyk (POL)
Betty Heidler (GER)