Cannon for Arms: The 10 Greatest Shot Putters of All-Time
Shot Put Legends: The Top 10 Shot Putters in History
Who’s the best putter to ever put their shot? Find out in our list of the 10 greatest shot putters of all-time!
Great female shot putter Natalya Lisovskaya
Shot put’s history is rich with extraordinary athletes who have showcased incredible strength, technique and determination.
Several of these athletes have emerged as the most significant shot putters of their time - and of all-time.
These are our top 10 greatest picks - including great male Olympians and legendary female athletes!
1. Ryan Crouser
Crouser set a new World Record of 23.56 metres at the Los Angeles Grand Prix
His spin technique has an additional move called the "Crouser Slide”
He won Olympic gold at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics
Ryan Crouser is an American shot-putter who has, in recent years, made himself a legend in the field sport for breaking the world record on 27 May 2023.
He's won the Olympic title twice and the World Athletics Championships in 2022 and 2023. In both Olympic events, he set a new Olympic record, with his current record at 23.30 metres.
Crouser weighs around 145kg and stands at 2.01 metres. He's the only shot putter to throw further than 23.50 metres and will likely set more astounding records in his career.
2. John Godina
He’s a three-time World Champion (1995, 1997 and 2001)
He won an Olympic silver at the 1996 Games and a bronze at the 2000 Olympics
Godina broke the world record 17 times during his career
John Godina is one of the most decorated shot putters of all-time. The American was trained by famous coach Art Venegas, and his furthest throw was 22.20 metres outdoors in 2005.
During his career, he broke the world record 17 times.
John Godina was considered "The Great Clean Hope" by the L.A. Times in 1996 because he was one of the few shot putters of his generation who did not bring disrepute to the event by using steroids.
3. Adam Nelson
A right-handed spinner, Adam Nelson was dominant in the early 2000s
He is the 2004 Olympic champion and 2005 World Champion
He’s won silver in three world outdoor events
Adam Nelson is another American shot putter who is a modern-day great in the sport.
He was a fan favourite and an inspiration to shorter potential shot putters because he's comparatively short amongst his competitors (1.83 metres).
Nelson's personal best is 22.51 metres, which he threw in 2002.
Interestingly, Nelson initially won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. However, in 2013, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded him the gold medal for the 2004 event after discovering the then-winner (Yuriy Bilonog) had used performance-enhancing drugs.
4. Tomasz Majewski
Majewski is the 2008 and 2012 shot put Olympic champion
He employs the classic gliding technique
He is 2.03 metres tall
Tomasz Majewski is a Polish shot putter who showed remarkable consistency throughout his career, which he attributes to his gliding technique.
In addition to his Olympic achievements, Majewski won:
A European Champion title
Silver at the World Championships
Two bronze medals in the World Indoor Championships
Majewski's personal best is 21.95 metres, which he threw in Stockholm in 2009.
5. Parry O'Brien
O'Brien invented the glide technique
He won three Olympic medals, including one gold and one silver
He was the first shot putter to throw over 60 feet, and his personal best was 19.69 metres
Parry O'Brien was an American shot-putter born in 1932 who made an impressive contribution to the sport's development.
Aside from competing in four consecutive Olympics, he was unbeaten in 116 back-to-back events.
Parry was a flag bearer for his team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and he is in the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
6. Werner Günthör
Günthör is a three-time Outdoor World Champion and one-time Indoor World Champion
He obtained a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul
His personal best is 22.75 metres
Werner Günthör is a Swiss-born former track and field athlete and is regarded as his nation's best shot putter of all-time.
Günthör's consistency on the broad spectrum made him a formidable competitor in the late 1980s.
He is well known for his powerful training system using different modalities. His old training videos are gaining popularity online, particularly among the shot put community.
7. Natalya Lisovskaya
Lisovskaya set the women's shot put world record in 1987 with a throw of 22.63 metres
She is the 1987 World Champion and 1988 Olympic champion
In 1985 and 1987, she won the World Indoor Championships
Natalya Lisovskaya is a Russian former shot put athlete whose record has remained unbeaten since 1987.
She broke three world records during her career and was the most dominant female shot putter in the late 1980s.
Lisovskaya retired from this solo sport after competing in the 1992 Olympics.
8. Helena Fibingerová
Fibingerová competed in two Olympics and won a bronze medal at the 1976 Games
She broke three world records during her career
Her longest put was 22.32 metres (1977)
Helena Fibingerová is a Czech Republic citizen born in 1949. She was the shot put World Champion in 1983 and the European Indoor Champion eight times.
Her indoor record of 22.50 metres hasn’t been beaten since she set it in 1977.
9. Ivanka Khristova
Khristova was the 1976 Olympic champion
She also won the European Indoor Championships in 1976
She broke two world records in her career
The late Ivanka Khristova was a prominent shot putter from Bulgaria. She competed in two Olympics, winning bronze in 1972 and gold in 1976.
Her personal best was 21.89 metres, which was a world record for just short of three months until Helena Fibingerová broke it.
10. Michelle Carter
Carter is the first American female to win Olympic gold in shot put
She competed in three Olympic Games
Her personal best is 20.63 metres
Michelle Carter, who called herself the "Shot Diva," is considered America's most outstanding female shot putter. She won the World Indoor Championships in the same year as she won gold at the Olympics (2016).
Carter retired from shot put in 2022 and is a powerful advocate for people with dyslexia and ADHD to achieve their dreams.
The 10 shot putters on our list are only some of the incredible athletes to make an impact on this ancient sport. Did we leave anyone out? Let us know in the comments!
