Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's discus throw
West Germany's first men's discus gold at the Olympics.
The men's discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California featured 20 competitors from 14 nations. The event was won by Rolf Danneberg of West Germany, the nation's first medal in the men's discus throw and the first victory by any German athlete in the event. Mac Wilkins and John Powell of the United States took silver and bronze, becoming the eighth and ninth men to win multiple discus throw medals.
Quick Facts
- Event
- Men's discus throw
- Games
- 1984 Summer
- Venue
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
- Dates
- 8 August 1984 (qualifying); 10 August 1984 (final)
- Competitors
- 20
- Nations
- 14
- Win value
- 66.60
- Gold
- Rolf Danneberg
Facts from the source article.
Background
The men's discus throw at the 1984 Summer Olympics marked the event's 20th appearance, one of only 12 athletics events featured at every Games. A Soviet-led boycott kept away all 1980 finalists, including 1983 world champion Imrich Bugár, Pan American champion Luis Delís, and world record holder Yuriy Dumchev. This left the host American team as the favorite. The Bahamas, Egypt, Mauritius, and Samoa competed for the first time. The United States made its 19th appearance, the most of any nation, missing only the 1980 Games due to the boycott.
Competition format
The format, first used in 1936, split qualifying from the final. Each athlete got three qualifying throws; a mark of 62.00 metres or better earned a spot in the final. If fewer than 12 met that standard, the top 12 advanced. Qualifying marks were discarded. Finalists had three throws, and the top eight got three more. The best single throw from those six attempts decided the winner.
More in Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics
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