Discus Discus is one of the oldest individual sports. It was a popular event with the ancient Greeks in their Olympic Games. Athletes in ancient times threw a discus that was made of stone or metal. The discus that is used today is a round plate of wood or other material. It is tapered at the edge and has a smooth metal rim. A men’s discus is 8 5/8 inches in diameter and 1 ¾ inches thick at …showed first 75 words of 260 total…

…showed last 75 words of 260 total…thrower steps on the circle or touches the ground outside the circle before the discus touches the ground. Judges measure the throw from the inside edge of the circle to the nearest point the discus struck the ground. Under international rules, each athlete gets six throws if eight or fewer contestants enter the competition. If more than eight athletes compete, each one gets three throws. The eight with the longest throws qualify for the finals.