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Discus

Around the Academy:

Oerter is simply the greatest ever discus thrower

The key to this event is spinning and balance. This helps to generate the speed and power required for discus throwing.

Al Oerter (USA). Born 19.9.36
Al Oerter is one of only three men to have won the same Olympic event at four consecutive Games - this was between 1956 and 1968.

He went to Tokyo in 1964 fully strapped up because of a neck and rib injury.

Doubled up in pain, he threw an Olympic record of 61m and the gold was his.

He attempted a comeback even at the age of 43 but did not need to prove anything after a throwing career that had lasted for over 25 years.

Discus

Ilke Wyludda (Ger). Born 28.3.69
Wyludda dominated the women's discus for almost a decade from the late 1980s.

But Olympic success had remained a distant dream for the German.

Until 1996 that is.

At Atlanta she destroyed the opposition with five of her throws exceeding anyone else and her winning margin was the biggest for 44 years.


	Introduction

	High jump

	Long jump

	Triple jump

	Pole vault

	Javelin

	Shot put

	Discus

	Hammer


		Record breakers ::

		Men: 74.08metres Jurgen Schult (GDR) 6.6.86
		Women: 76.80m Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) 9.7.88


Discus rules ::
	You must start from a stationary position
	You can hold the discus in any way and throw it using any technique
	You must not leave the circle before the discus has touched the ground
	You must not touch the ground with any part of the body outside the circle or the top of the circle rim after starting the throw
	The discus must land within the sector lines

EQUIPMENT ::

On track: All you need to know about running shoes

SKILLS ::

Learn the basics then go faster, higher, further

RULES ::

Get the low down on the rules of various sports


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