Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's hammer throw
Primož Kozmus won Slovenia's first Olympic medal in the event.
The men's hammer throw at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held on 15 August (qualifying) and 17 August (final) at the Beijing National Stadium. Primož Kozmus of Slovenia won the event, securing his nation's first medal in the discipline. The original silver and bronze medalists were later disqualified and then reinstated following an appeal.
Quick Facts
- Event
- Men's hammer throw
- Games
- 2008 Summer
- Venue
- Beijing National Stadium
- Dates
- 15 August 2008 (qualifying); 17 August 2008 (final)
- Competitors
- 33
- Nations
- 26
- Gold
- Primož Kozmus
- Silver
- Vadim Devyatovskiy
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Each NOC could enter up to three athletes meeting the A standard, or one athlete meeting the B standard.
- The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress.
- The qualifying standards for the 2008 event were the A standard and B standard.
Background
The men's hammer throw at the 2008 Summer Olympics marked the event's 25th edition, missing only the 1896 Games. Nine of the 2004 finalists returned, including defending champion Koji Murofushi, bronze medalist Eşref Apak, and three-time reigning world champion Ivan Tsikhan. Szymon Ziółkowski, the 2000 Olympic champion, also returned after failing to reach the final in 2004. Egypt, Iceland, Latvia, and Turkmenistan competed for the first time. The United States made its 24th appearance, the most of any nation.
Competition format
The competition used the two-round format introduced in 1936, with a separate qualifying round and final. In qualifying, each athlete had three attempts; those reaching 78.00 metres advanced, or the top 12 if fewer achieved that mark. Qualifying results were discarded. Finalists received three throws, with the top eight receiving three additional attempts; the best of six throws counted.
More in Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced