Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's hammer throw

Women's hammer throw at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Venue	Olympic Stadium
Date	12–15 August
Competitors	32 from 19 nations
Winning distance	82.29 WR
Medalists
Anita Włodarczyk  Polen Zhang Wenxiu  China Sophie Hitchon  Great Britain

The women's hammer throw competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event will be held at the Olympic Stadium on 12–15 August. Each athlete receives three throws in the qualifying round. All who achieve the qualifying distance progress to the final. If less than twelve athletes achieve this mark, then the twelve furthest throwing athletes reach the final. Each finalist is allowed three throws in last round, with the top eight athletes after that point being given three further attempts.

Summary

Anita Włodarczyk, the reigning World Champion and European Champion, was one of the stand-out gold medal favourites in the Olympic athletics programme, given that she held all ten of the best throws that year and a season's best of 80.26 m – the third best ever. At the 2012 Olympic Games she had been runner-up to Tatyana Lysenko, who faced a lifetime ban for doping. The next best thrower that season was almost five metres behind on the rankings: Betty Heidler was the European runner-up. China's Zhang Wenxiu and Wang Zheng were the next highest ranked.

Włodarczyk continued her unbeaten streak since 2014 to top qualifying in 76.93 m. Zhang was second best in the round and Rosa Rodríguez of Venezuela was a surprise third automatic qualifier. The top ranked athletes progressed, though non threw beyond 72 metres. Hanna Skydan of Azerbaijan and American Gwen Berry were the most significant of the eliminated athletes.

In the final, Włodarczyk assumed the lead with her first throw of 76.35 m, ahead of Zhang's 75.06 m and Heidler holding bronze position with 71.38 m. The second round saw Sophie Hitchon move into bronze position with a 73.29 m. On the next throw, Włodarczyk improved her position with an 80.40 m, that nobody would match. In the third round Zhang improved and so did Włodarczyk in a big way. Her third throw was 82.29 m (269 ft 11+3⁄4 in) a new world record. Her mark improved upon her own previous world record by 1.11 m and was 2.87 m (over 9 feet) further than any other woman (Heidler) has ever thrown. It was Włodarczyk's sixth world record and the fourth in succession since August 2014. In the fourth round Zalina Marghieva moved into bronze position with her best throw of 73.50 m. The fifth round saw Heidler edge back into bronze position with a 73.71 m, then Zhang solidified her silver position with her best throw of 76.75 m and Włodarczyk threw 81.74 m, only the second best throw in history to her third round throw. On her final throw, Hitchon leapfrogged back into the bronze medal with a 74.54 m British National Record.

The medals were presented by Irena Szewińska, IOC member, Poland and Svein Arne Hansen, Council Member of the IAAF.

Zeitplan

All times are Brasília Time (UTC−3).

Date	Zeit	Round
Friday, 12 August 2016	20:40	Qualifications
Monday, 15 August 2016	10:40	Finals

Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

World record	Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)	81.08 m	Władysławowo, Poland	1 August 2015
Olympic record	Tatyana Lysenko (RUS)	78.18 m	London, United Kingdom	11 August 2012
2016 World leading	Anita Wlodarczyk (POL)	80.26 m	Cetniewo, Poland	12 July 2016

The following records were established during the competition:

Date	Event	Name	Nationality	Distance	Record
16 August	Final	Anita Włodarczyk	Polen	80.40 m	OR
16 August	Final	Anita Włodarczyk	Polen	82.29 m	WR

Results

Qualification

Qualification rule: qualification standard 72.00 m (Q) or at least best 12 qualified (q).

Rank	Group	Name	Nationality	#1	#2	#3	Result	Notes
1	A	Anita Włodarczyk	Polen	76.93	-	-	76.93	Q
2	B	Zhang Wenxiu	China	x	70.72	73.58	73.58	Q
3	A	Rosa Rodriguez	Venezuela	X	69.34	72.41	72.41	Q, SB
4	B	Joanna Fiodorow	Polen	71.77	71.59	69.29	71.77	q
5	A	Zalina Marghieva	Moldawien	68.80	71.72	70.90	71.72	q
6	B	Betty Heidler	Deutschland	71.17	66.62	68.60	71.17	q
7	B	Hanna Malyshik	Weißrussland	X	64.69	71.12	71.12	q
8	B	Amber Campbell	Vereinigte Staaten	71.09	X	X	71.09	q
9	A	Deanna Price	Vereinigte Staaten	69.25	69.52	70.79	70.79	q
10	A	Wang Zheng	China	68.91	70.60	X	70.60	q
11	B	Sophie Hitchon	Great Britain	X	70.37	68.68	70.37	q
12	A	Alexandra Tavernier	Frankreich	X	68.42	70.30	70.30	q
13	B	Hanna Skydan	Aserbaidschan	67.05	68.98	70.09	70.09
14	A	Gwen Berry	Vereinigte Staaten	68.07	X	69.90	69.90
15	B	Malwina Kopron	Polen	69.31	69.69	X	69.69
16	A	Liu Tingting	China	67.40	69.14	63.35	69.14
17	A	Katerina Safrankova	Tschechische Republik	66.52	68.33	65.30	68.33
18	B	Kathrin Klaas	Deutschland	67.92	64.89	67.01	67.92
19	A	Martina Hrasnova	Slowakei	67.63	66.10	64.32	67.63
20	A	Alena Sobaleva	Weißrussland	x	66.71	67.06	67.06
21	B	Tuğçe Şahutoğlu	Türkei	65.47	67.05	61.92	67.05
22	A	Iryna Novozhylova	Ukraine	66.70	X	65.15	66.70
23	A	Heather Steacy	Kanada	66.01	X	63.78	66.01
24	B	Marina Marghieva-Nikisenko	Moldawien	65.19	63.82	65.10	65.19
25	B	Amy Sene	Senegal	64.83	X	60.91	64.83
26	A	Kıvılcım Kaya Salman	Türkei	X	X	64.79	64.79
27	B	Jennifer Dahlgren	Argentinien	63.03	X	X	63.03
28	B	Iryna Klymets	Ukraine	62.00	X	62.75	62.75
29	A	Charlene Woitha	Deutschland	X	X	62.50	62.50
30	A	Daina Levy	Jamaika	X	60.35	X	60.35
31	B	Nataliya Zolotukhina	Ukraine	56.60	X	56.96	56.96
32	B	Yirisleydi Ford	Cuba	10.91	X	X	10.91

Final

Rank	Athlete	Nationality	1	2	3	4	5	6	Result	Notes
	Anita Włodarczyk	Polen	76.35	80.40	82.29	X	81.74	79.60	82.29	WR
	Zhang Wenxiu	China	75.06	74.04	76.19	74.65	76.75	70.93	76.75	SB
	Sophie Hitchon	Great Britain	X	73.29	71.73	72.28	72.89	74.54	74.54	NR
4	Betty Heidler	Deutschland	71.38	69.24	69.84	72.71	73.71	X	73.71
5	Zalina Marghieva	Moldawien	69.01	X	72.38	73.50	72.96	70.24	73.50
6	Amber Campbell	Vereinigte Staaten	68.18	68.85	70.20	70.57	72.74	71.09	72.74
7	Hanna Malyshik	Weißrussland	66.58	X	70.38	70.60	69.68	71.90	71.90
8	DeAnna Price	Vereinigte Staaten	68.12	X	70.95	X	61.95	69.18	70.95
9	Joanna Fiodorow	Polen	69.87	X	68.63	—	—	—	69.87
10	Rosa Rodríguez	Venezuela	67.94	66.87	69.26	—	—	—	69.26
11	Alexandra Tavernier	Frankreich	X	65.18	X	—	—	—	65.18
-	Wang Zheng	China	X	X	X	—	—	—	NM