Throw the Hammer
While the 100 metre world record battle is being followed, there is another less glamarous event where the world record is being broken and reclaimed - women’s hammer throwing.
Russia’s Tatiana Lysenko reclaimed the world record in the hammer throwing 77.41 meters at the Znamensky memorial international athletics meeting in Russia on Saturday…
Lysenko had previously held the record of 77.06m which she set in Moscow last July. Romania’s Mihaela Melinte previously dominated bettering the mark three times between 1998 and 2005.
The rivalry between Lysenko and Khanafeyeva is expected to continue during the European championships in Gothenburg, Sweden from August 6-13.
Hammer throwing as a sport has a fascinating history. Hammerthrow.com traces it:
Legends trace it to the Tailteann games held in Tara, Ireland, about 2000 D.C., and tell of the Celtic hero Cuchulainn who gripped a chariot wheel by its axle, whirled it around his head, and threw it father than did any other mortal. Wheel hurling was later replaced by throwing a boulder attached to the end of a wooden handle. Among the ancient Teutonic tribes forms on hammer throwing were practiced at religious festivals honoring the God Thor.
In school, each person used to enter into 4-5 events for the intra-school event. So I did put my name in for hammer throwing a few times as well. In case you are wondering, I never won an arm wrestling match - let alone a hammer throwing contest.
Maybe I should just stick to watching the world cup!
Tags: Hammer Throwing, Womens Sport.
June 25th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
never knew we had a hammer handler amongst us! u could have introduced it in college :)
June 26th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Haha! You would have defeated me easily.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:01 am
I followed the Wikipedia link for Lysenko. The Tatiana Lysenko they profile is a former Ukranian gymnast, someone who might have an even harder time throwing the hammer.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:11 am
Interesting. :) Link changed. Thanks for pointing this.