Paris Olympics: How heavy is the metal ball used in shot put? Are weight different in men's and women's categories?

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In the shot put event at the Olympics, men throw a 7.26kg/16lb shot, while women throw a 4kg/8.8lb shot. The shot put used in the first modern Olympics was crafted from lead, whereas the contemporary shot put is typically made from smooth iron or brass.

Shot put is one of the four throwing events in track and field at the Summer Olympics, alongside discus. The objective of the game is to propel the metal balls as far as possible in order to emerge victorious in the competition.

This event has been a part of the Olympics since 1896. The men's shot put event has been a part of the Olympics since the beginning, while the women's event was introduced fifty years later at the 1948 Olympics.

The shot put is composed of various materials such as sand, iron, cast iron, brass, andsolid steel, along with synthetic compounds like polyvinyl.

What happened in the shot put events during the Tokyo Olympics 2020?

Ryan Crouser of the United States clinched the gold medal in the men's shot put event at the Tokyo Olympics by achieving a throw of 23.30m. Joe Kovacs, also from the USA, secured the silver medal with a throw of 22.65m, while Tom Walsh took home the bronze with a distance of 22.47m.

Crouser and Kovacs have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024. Payton Otterdahl is the third athlete on the USA shot put team. Walsh, a Kiwi shot put athlete is part of the team along with Jacko Gill.

India's Tajinderpal Singh Toor faced a disappointing performance as his best attempt of 19.99m landed him in 13th place out of 16 in his group. Only the top 12 performers from two qualifying groups advanced to the final round of the event. The 29-year-old, who holds the national record with 21.77m, will aim for a better performance in the future. He will be training in Poland before reaching Paris on July 28.

In the women's shot put events, China's Lijiao Gong claimed the gold medal with a throw of 20.58m, while Raven Saunders and New Zealand's Valerie Adams secured the silver and bronze medals with distances of 19.79m and 19.62m, respectively.