| Like many other track and field events, discus | | | | try discus by one of his instructors. He hired a |
| originated in ancient Greece. Discus history can be | | | | blacksmith to make a discus from designs based on |
| traced back to the 8th Century BC and the | | | | depictions in classical art. The finished disc weighed |
| competition is depicted in ancient Greek art and the | | | | more than 30 pounds and was nearly useless. |
| epic poetry of Homer. Discus was one of 12 athletic | | | | When the US team arrived in Athens, Garrett |
| competitions included in the first modern Olympic | | | | discovered that a modern discus is smaller and lighter |
| Games in 1896. When the Olympics was opened to | | | | than the ancient version. He decided discus might be |
| women in 1928, discus was the first weight throwing | | | | fun after all and entered the competition. The other |
| competition they participated in. | | | | participants imitated the style depicted in classic art |
| Along with wrestling, javelin, long jump and either | | | | and released their discs with beautiful precision. Garrett |
| boxing or a foot race called the stadion, discus was | | | | treated the discus like a hammer and hurled it with all |
| one of the essential military skills included in the ancient | | | | his might. It hurled end over end towards the audience |
| pentathlon. The discus was made of bronze and iron | | | | and narrowly missed the closest spectators. Both the |
| and was much heavier than discs used in modern | | | | audience and Garrett had a laugh at his graceless |
| competitions. Unlike wrestling, boxing, and running, | | | | performance before he made his gold medal earning |
| discus was never an individual competition but only | | | | throw of 29.15 meters. |
| used as part of the pentathlon. | | | | In 1928 the Olympics opened to female athletes. The |
| In 1896 the Olympics was revived and discus was one | | | | first woman to win a gold medal for Olympic discus |
| of the 12 athletic competitions at the first modern | | | | was Polish track and field star and record holder Halina |
| Games. Princeton track and field star Robert Garrett | | | | Konopacka who broke her own record with a |
| won that first modern discus competition almost by | | | | distance of 39.62 meters. American silver medalist |
| accident. Primarily a shot-putter, Garrett was pushed to | | | | Lillian Copeland won the gold in 1932. |