PARIS, France — The shot put is one of the throwing events in the track and field events at the Olympics.
Men and women use strength and technique in an attempt to throw the heavy metal ball as far as they possibly can.
Spinning helps add power behind the throw and it must land within a marked wedge on the grass.
But just how heavy is that ball?
In men's competitions, the ball is 16 pounds and in women's competitions it's 8.8 pounds.
These are some other things that weigh about 16 pounds:
- 40-inch LED TV
- Coffee table
- Vacuum cleaner
- Storage cabinet
- Pressure cooker
- Wall mirror
- Stereo system
- Kitchen stool
- Fish tank
- Dining table
- Mini refrigerator
- Thick rug
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the gold-medal winning men's throw was 23.3 meters or 76.4 feet by Ryan Crouser of the United States. This was the second-longest shot put throw in Olympic history.
