Leading contenders and predictions in the shot put, discus, hammer and javelin at the 2024 Games
Here is your guide to the men’s and women’s throws at the Paris Olympics. Don’t forget to follow our coverage of the Games on our website and social media channels.
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Ryan Crouser (Getty)
Men’s shot put
Final: August 3
Defending champion/Olympic record: Ryan Crouser (USA) 23.06m
World champion:
Ryan Crouser (USA) 23.53m
World leader: Joe Kovacs (USA) 23.13m
Expect the US throwers to dominate this competition once again.
Top contenders
Joe Kovacs (USA) (23.13m in 2024)
The two-time world champion and double Olympic silver medallist tops the rankings but was beaten at the trials.
Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) (22.95m in 2024)
The world silver medallist has been in much better form in 2024. His best 10 marks have been set this year, including a massive European victory.
Leonardo Fabbri (Getty)
Ryan Crouser (USA) (22.84m in 2024)
The world record-holder is going for his third Olympic title on top of his two world titles and his world indoor win this winter but he has competed sparingly outdoors.
Tom Walsh (NZL) (22.16i in 2024)
The former world champion and two-time Olympic bronze medallist finished second at the world indoors but has been in modest form outdoors.
British Challenge: Scott Lincoln was a fine fourth in Rome, and comfortably qualified with a 21.34m British qualifying mark. He has a good chance of making the final.
AW Prediction: 1 Crouser (USA) 23.12m; 2 Kovacs (USA) 22.86m; 3 Fabbri (ITA) 22.68m
Sarah Mitton (Mark Shearman)
Women’s shot put
Final: August 9
Defending champion:
Gong Lijiao (CHN) 20.58m
Olympic record:
Ilona Slupaniek (GDR) 22.41m, 1980
World champion:
Chase Jackson (USA) 20.43m
World leader: Sarah Mitton (CAN) 20.68m
A potentially close battle. Less than a metre covers the top seven athletes in the rankings.
Top contenders
Sarah Mitton (CAN) (20.68m in 2024)
The Commonwealth champion was second in Budapest and then won the world indoor title. She has been in good form this summer.
Jessica Schilder (NED) (20.33m in 2024)
The 2022 world bronze medallist won the European title and set a Dutch record with a big win in Hengelo.
Chase Jackson (USA) (20.07m in 2024)
The double world champion is making her Olympic debut after finishing third in Glasgow. She has won three Diamond League meetings.
Gong Lijiao (CHN) (20.00m in 2024)
The reigning champion will be competing in her fifth Olympics. She already has a full medal set and has won 13 global medals in total.
British Challenge: Amelia Campbell was in the rankings quota, but UKA refused to select her.
AW Prediction: 1 Mitton (CAN) 20.45m; 2 Jackson (USA) 20.24m; 3 Schilder (NED) 20.17m
Mykolas Alekna (Getty)
Men’s discus
Final: August 7
Defending champion: Daniel Ståhl (SWE) 68.90m
Olympic record: Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) 69.89m, 2004
World champion: Daniel Ståhl (SWE) 71.46m
World leader: Mykolas Alekna (LTU) 74.35m
Traditionally this event has been dominated by Europeans but there are plenty of other contenders, too.
Top contenders
Mykolas Alekna (LTU) (74.35m in 2024)
Having set a world record this summer, the Lithuanian was unable to win European gold following silver and bronze in the last two world championships but will still start as favourite in Paris.
Alex Rose (SAM) (71.48m in 2024)
Set an area record this summer but has previously struggled in finals, with a world championships best of eighth.
Kristjan Čeh (SLO) (70.48m in 2024)
The 2022 world champion was second in Budapest and took the European title in Rome earlier this summer.
Daniel Ståhl (SWE) (68.99m in 2024)
The reigning champion has also won two world titles in Doha and Budapest but was only fourth in Rome.
British Challenge: The only event featuring two British throwers and both Nick Percy and Lawrence Okoye are capable of making the final.
AW Prediction: 1 Čeh (SLO) 71.03m; 2 Alekna (LTU) 70.98m; 3 Ståhl (SWE) 68.87m
Valarie Allman (Getty)
Women’s discus
Final: August 5
Defending champion: Valarie Allman (USA) 68.98m
Olympic record:
Martina Hellmann (GDR) 72.30m, 1988
World champion:
Laulauga Tausaga-Collins (USA) 69.49m
World leader: Yaime Perez (CUB) 73.09m
Another contest that looks like being pretty open, although world champion Lalauga Tausaga-Collins failed to qualify.
Top contenders
Yaime Perez (CUB) (73.09m in 2024)
The 2019 world champion and Olympic bronze medallist easily tops the rankings and, while that was a freak result, she has been consistent this summer.
Valarie Allman (USA) (70.89m in 2024)
The reigning champion has since won world bronze and silver medals but starts favourite after an unbeaten season so far.
Feng Bin (CHN) (67.89m in 2024)
The 2022 world champion was third in Budapest after failing to make the final in Tokyo and has been ultra consistent around 67 metres.
Sandra Elkasevic (CRO) (67.04m in 2024)
The 2012 and 2016 champion won a record seventh successive European gold in Rome despite being well down on the form of her peak of seven years ago.
British Challenge: Jade Lally qualified via the world rankings, but the place was not taken
up by UK Athletics.
AW Prediction: 1 Allman (USA) 69.88m; 2 Perez (CUB) 69.23m; 3 Elkasevic (CRO) 68.94m
Ethan Katzberg with Bence Halasz (Getty)
Men’s hammer
Final: August 4
Defending champion: Wojciech Nowicki (POL) 82.52m
Olympic record: Sergiy Litvinov (URS) 84.80m, 1988
World champion: Ethan Katzberg (CAN) 81.25m
World leader: Ethan Katzberg CAN 84.38m
Traditionally the hammer battles are quite close but, on 2024, form this looks like being a clear cut win for Ethan Katzberg.
Top contenders
Ethan Katzberg (CAN) (84.38m in 2024)
A surprise world champion at the age of 21 last year, the Canadian has a huge advantage in the rankings and he backed up the early season mark that put him ninth all-time with big recent throws.
Wojciech Nowicki (POL) (80.95m in 2024)
The reigning champion who won his third European title in Rome has five world medals but no golds and looks certain to be on the podium again.
Bence Halasz (HUN) (80.49m in 2024)
Another consistent thrower who now has two world bronze medals and two European silvers and will be in the medal battle.
Pawel Fajdek (POL) (80.02 in 2024)
The five-time world champion only has an Olympic bronze to his name in 2021 but beat Nowicki in the Polish Championships and in the Paris Diamond League.
British Challenge: European finalist Jake Norris is ranked 15th on 2024 form and was a clear prospect to make the final but his entry via the world rankings was not accepted.
AW Prediction: 1 Katzberg (CAN) 83.65m; 2 Nowicki (POL) 81.24m; 3 Fajdek (POL) 79.88m
Camryn Rogers (Getty)
Women’s hammer
Final: August 6
Defending champion:
Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) 78.48m
Olympic record: Anita Wlodarczyk (POL) 82.29m, 2016
World champion:
Camryn Rogers (CAN) 77.22m
World leader: Brooke Andersen (USA) 79.92m
Quite an open contest with North America providing most of the favourites.
Top contenders
Camryn Rogers (CAN) (77.76m in 2024)
The world and Commonwealth champion was fifth in Tokyo and has been in good form
in 2024.
DeAnna Price (USA) (77.16m in 2024)
The former world champion will be hoping to improve on her two Olympic eighth place finishes.
Jie Zhao (CHN) (75.24m in 2024)
The Asian champion was 10th in Budapest but, aged just 21, is improving all the time and has had her four best throws this year.
Sara Fantini (ITA) (74.18m in 2024)
The newly crowned European champion has yet to make a mark in a global event and was 12th in Tokyo.
British Challenge: No Brits will be competing, though Anna Purchase would have qualified through the world rankings.
AW Prediction: 1 Rogers (CAN) 76.98m; 2 Price (USA) 75.87m; 3 Jie Zhao (CHN) 75.45m
Neeraj Chopra (Getty)
Men’s javelin
Final: August 8
Defending champion: Neeraj Chopra (IND) 87.58m
Olympic record: Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) 90.57m, 2008
World champion: Neeraj Chopra (IND) 88.17m
World leader: Max Dehning GER 90.20m
The most global event on the programme has a number of contenders, but there is one athlete in particular who rises to the occasion.
Top contenders
Max Dehning (GER) (90.20m in 2024)
The teenager has done nothing to back up what looks like being a freak result from February.
Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) (88.65m in 2024)
The Olympic silver medallist and three-time
world medallist is the most consistent of throwers and took the European title in Rome with a big last-round effort.
Julian Weber (GER) (88.37m in 2024)
The former European winner was fourth in Tokyo, Eugene and Budapest and has been very consistent this year around 86 metres.
Neeraj Chopra (IND) (88.36m in 2024)
The defending Olympic and world champion has not competed much this year and lost in Doha to Vadlejch but he remains the man to beat.
British Challenge: No Brits qualified.
AW Prediction: 1 Chopra (IND) 91.24m; 2 Vadlejch (CZE) 88.96m; 3 Weber (GER) 87.66m
Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado, Haruka Kitaguchi, Mackenzie Little
Women’s javelin
Final: August 10
Defending champion: Liu Shiying (CHN) 66.34m
Olympic record: Osleidys Menendez (CUB) 71.53m, 2004
World champion: Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) 66.73m
World leader: Flor Dennis Ruiz (COL) 66.70m
The distances are nothing special, but this should produce a close contest.
Top contenders
Flor Dennis Ruiz (COL) (66.70m in 2024)
The World silver medallist has not been consistent thus far in 2024 but did set an area record in May.
Victoria Hudson (AUT) (66.06m in 2024)
The European champion failed to make the final in Tokyo but has improved since, finishing fifth in the World Championships in Budapest.
Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN) (65.21m in 2024)
The world champion hit form with a big throw in Monaco and will be keen to improve on her 12th place from Tokyo.
Adriana Vilagos (SRB) (64.42m in 2024)
The double world under-20 champion is improving fast and has two European silvers at the age of 20.
British Challenge: No Brits were selected, though Rebekah Walton wasn’t far short via the rankings.
AW Prediction: 1 Kitaguchi (JPN) 66.18m; 2 Vilagos (SRB) 65.76m; 3 Ruiz (COL) 65.34m
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