Hammer throw, sport in athletics (track and field) in which a hammer is hurled for distance, using two hands within a throwing circle.
The sport developed centuries ago in the British Isles. Legends trace it to the Tailteann Games held in Ireland about 2000 bce, when the Celtic hero Cú Chulainn gripped a chariot wheel by its axle, whirled it around his head, and threw it farther than did any other individual. Wheel hurling was later replaced by throwing a boulder attached to the end of a wooden handle. Forms of hammer throwing were practiced among the ancient Teutonic tribes at religious festivals honouring the god Thor, and sledgehammer throwing was practiced in 15th- and 16th-century Scotland and England.
Since 1866 the hammer throw has been a regular part of track-and-field competitions in Ireland, Scotland, and England. The English standardized the event in 1875 by establishing the weight of the hammer at 7.2 kg (16 pounds) and its length at 1,067.5 mm (later changed to a maximum 1,175 mm [46.3 inches]) and by requiring that it be thrown from a circle 2.135 metres (7 feet) in diameter.
The men’s event has been included in the Olympic Games since 1900; the women’s hammer throw made its Olympic debut in 2000. Early hammers had forged-iron heads and wooden handles, but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) now requires use of a wire-handled spherical weight. The ball is of solid iron or other metal not softer than brass or is a shell of such metal filled with lead or other material. The handle is spring steel wire, with one end attached to the ball by a plain or ball-bearing swivel and the other to a rigid two-hand grip by a loop. The throwing circle is protected by a C-shaped cage for the safety of officials and onlookers.
In the modern hammer throw technique, a thrower makes three full, quick turns of the body before flinging the weight. Strength, balance, and proper timing are essential. The throw is a failure if the athlete steps on or outside the circle, or if the hammer lands outside a 40° sector marked on the field from the centre of the circle.