A men's Olympic shot weighs 16 pounds and a women's shot nearly 9 pounds. If a competitor's form is not correct, the physical nature of the shot put can lead to injury, sometimes serious. Injuries to an athlete's knees, shoulders, hands or ribs can add to the drama of the Olympic event as he tries to remain in contention for a medal. Injuries have been a factor in many Olympic shot put events.
2008
During the Beijing Olympics in 2008, U.S. shot putter Adam Nelson suffered a rib that slipped out of place during practice. National Public Radio said that though his practices went well, he'd bend over in obvious pain after about a half-hour and end his practice sessions early. Nelson won silver medals in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, but did not medal in Beijing.
1952
James E. Fuchs won his second bronze Olympic medal in 1952 with a badly injured hand. In fact, Fuchs was well known for competing in the face of injury and illness, earning the name "The Magnificent Wreck," according to the New York Times. Prior to the 1952 Olympics, Fuchs was credited with developing a new way to throw the shot called the "sideways glide." The method originally was meant to compensate for an injury to his left knee. However, he used his method to dominate shot putting and set four world records in 1949 and 1950. Fuchs died Oct. 8, 2010, at the age of 82.
1960
During the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Bill Nieder overcame a knee injury to win a gold medal in the shot put. He finished fourth in the U.S. Trials and was named to the Olympic team as an alternate. He joined the Olympic competition after another athlete on the U.S. team, Dave Davis, suffered a wrist injury and had to withdraw from the Games.
1988
Jackie Joyner-Kersee tore a tendon in her left knee during the heptathlon in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Despite the injury, she continued to compete in the event, which included the shot put, 100-meter hurdles, high jump, 200-meter dash, long jump, javelin and 800-meter run. Joyner-Kersee won the gold medal, setting a world record.
References
- National Public Radio: U.S. Shot Putter Undeterred by Last-Minute Injury
- National Public Radio: Shot Putter Nelson Fails to Make Olympic Grade
- New York Times: James E. Fuchs, Innovator in the Shot Put, Dies at 82
- Associated Press: Kansas Olympians
- Sports Reference: Bill Nieder
- ESPN: Building a Club is an Olympic Challenge
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