Discus Throw - Champions
Discus Throw has shaped a number of proud men and women winners in this athletics sport category around the world. Some of the popular discus throw champions are listed below −
Jürgen Schult
He is a German discus thrower and world record holder till date since 1986, who set a record for the farthest discus throw of 74.08m.
He was ranked 1st in second IAAF World Championship in Athletics held in 1987 and in Olympic games conducted at Seoul in 1988.
In 2002, Schult became the trainer of the German track and field association's men's discus team.
Robert Harting
Yet another German discus thrower popularly called “Shaggy” in the domain of athletics. He is an esteemed owner of a number of Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in numerous championships and represents SSC Club, Berlin.
His personal best throw record is 70.31m. Harting is also famous for demonstrating victory by ripping own’s shirt, running with a German flag, and placing mascot tattoos on the shoulders.
Franka Dietzsch
She is a German discus thrower best known for winning gold medals at three World Championships in Athletics. She has a record of her personal best throw at 69.51 meters.
She has won gold medals a number of times in her career as a professional discus thrower. IAAF World Cup held in 1998 at Johannesburg in South Africa and 11th World Championship in Athletics held in 2007 at Osaka in Japan are to name a few.
Yarelys Barrios Castañeda
Yarelys Barrios Castañeda is a discus thrower from Cuba. She won the Diamond Race in the women's discus throw of the IAAF Diamond League subsequently in year 2010 and 2011.
She has won Cuban National Championships held in 2012 with a personal best throw of 68.03 meters.
Virgilijus Alekna
He is a Lithuanian athlete. Alekna has won two gold medals in the Summer Olympics in the discus throw on his name with the first in 2000 and the second in 2004.
He won bronze medal at Beijing Summer Olympics held in 2008. In 2007, he was appointed as UNESCO Champion for Sport. His personal record of farthest discus throw is 73.88 meters.
Alekna stands tall at 6 ft 7 in, which gives him an incredibly long armspan, measured 2.22m (7 ft 3.5 in), which is helpful in discus throwing.
Frantz Kruger
He a South African-born-Finnish discus thrower who won the Olympic bronze medal in 2000 and gold medal in 2004 African Championships in Athletics held in Congo. He is also a double African champion.
His personal best throw of 70.32 meters. He is permitted to represent both South Africa and Finland both under special permissions from IAAF since 2007.
Gerd Kanter
He is a popular Estonian discus thrower. He was the World Champion of 2007. He has won gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and bronze medal in London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Kanter has recorded a personal best throw of 73.38 meters, which is the Estonian record and the third best mark of all-time.
