The men's
discus throw
The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...
event was part of the
track and field athletics programme at the
1920 Summer Olympics
The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...
. The competition was held on Saturday, August 21, 1920, and on Sunday, August 22, 1920. 17 discus throwers from eight nations competed.
No nation had more than 4 athletes, suggesting the limit had been reduced from the 12 maximum in force in 1908 and 1912. The event was won by
Elmer Niklander of Finland, the nation's second consecutive victory in the men's discus throw.
Armas Taipale, the winner in 1912, took silver to become the second man to win multiple medals in the event.
Gus Pope
Augustus Russell Pope (November 29, 1898 – 1953) was an American athlete. He won the bronze medal in the discus throw at the 1920 Summer Olympics and finished fourth in 1924.
In June 1921, Pope was the individual points leader with 10 points ...
took bronze, continuing the American streak of podium appearances at all six discus competitions to date.
Background
This was the sixth appearance of the event, which is one of 12 athletics events to have been held at every Summer Olympics. Returning competitors from 1912 included defending champion
Armas Taipale and fourth-place finisher
Elmer Niklander, both of Finland. Taipale had twice beaten the world record, though the
IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
did not acknowledge those throws.
Belgium and Czechoslovakia each made their debut in the men's discus throw. The United States made its sixth appearance, having competed in every edition of the Olympic men's discus throw to date. Greece missed the event for the first time.
Competition format
The competition continued to use the single, divided-final format in use since 1896. Each athlete received three throws, with the top six receiving an additional three throws.
[Official Report, p. 115.][
]
Records
These were the standing world and Olympic records (in metres) prior to the 1920 Summer Olympics.
No new world or Olympic records were set during the competition.
Schedule
Results
The best six discus throwers qualified for the final.
References
Sources
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Athletics At The 1920 Summer Olympics - Men's Discus Throw
Discus throw
The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field sport in which the participant athlete throws an oblate spheroid weight (object), weight called a discus in an attempt to mark a further distance than other competitors. It is a ...
Discus throw at the Olympics