Original at /projects/olympics/classical/

Origin: The discus is one of the competitions that did not have any relation to military exercises or farm work. It has a long tradition beginning with Homer's description about the discus event in the games in which Achilles held in honor of Patroclus. The discus in Greek mythology has been connected with numerous accidental killings. For instance, Apollo accidentally killed his friend Hyakinthos with the discus, when the Zephyr blew it off its course. Equipment: Archeological finds and vase paintings indicate that the discus was originally made of stone, and then later made of iron, lead, or bronze. The discus, like it is today, consisted of two convex curves that had a large circumference. It ranged from 17 to 32 cm in diameter, and weighed from 1.3 to 6.6 kilograms. Small wooden pegs marked a thrower's performance, and it was measured with rods.
Rules of the Game: The natural movements of an athlete have not changed. In fact, the technique is very similar to that of today's freestyle discus. To throw the discus well, an athlete would hold the discus high with one hand and support it with the other. He would then swing it forcefully down and forward or from the side and forward. This motion utilizes the shoulder muscles, chest and ribs. The throwing of the discus was as follows: A right handed discus thrower stood with his left leg forward and the weight of his body on his right foot. Using his right hand, he swung the discus up and down a few times. When the discus was above his hand, more support came from his left hand. Each time the discus swung down and behind, he slightly turned his body to the right. He then transferred his weight from his right foot to his left foot and threw the discus forward with a vigorous accelerating swing.
Characteristics of a Good Discus Thrower The throwing of the discus required rhythm, precision, and power.

Discus