Discus Throw, Greek Style, Men

This event was the only 1906 athletics event which was not held in the Panathenaic Stadium, but rather was contested at the new gymnasium of the National Gymnastic Club, near the Ilissus River, presumably because of space considerations within the stadium. The event was put on the program in an attempt to have the throwers imitate the classic poses seen by discus throwers on ancient Greek amphora. Unfortunately, almost nobody understood exactly what poses they were required to make during their throw. The rules read as follows:

a) For this test a pedestal 80 centimetres long and 70 centimetres broad is inclined, with a maximum height of 15 centimetres behind and a minimum height of 5 centimetres in front. b) The Hellenic method of throwing the discus is something like the following:

The thrower places himself on the pedestal with the feet apart, and holding the discus in either hand. He then takes it with both hands slightly stretched, lifting them without letting go the discus, and stretching out the rest of his body in the same way in the same direction. After that he turns the trunk slightly to the right and bends sharply, so as to bring the left hand when free to the right knee, and the right hand still holding the discus, as far back as the build of the shoulder permits. At this moment, the right foot should be forward and the legs bent; the right foot rests on the sole, and the left on the toes only. Then by a sharp and simultaneous extension of the whole body, the thrower throws the discus straight in front of him.

The Greek judges ended up being a bit lenient and Verner Järvinen won the event over Nikolaos Georgantas. This rather upset Georgantas, who did not think Järvinen’s style was legal. After the decision was announced, the Greek walked over to the pedestal and let fly in an unhampered manner, far outdistancing all other throws. Matin Sheridan was probably hampered by his efforts to compete concurrently in the standing high jump.