Despite its name, the hammer 
bears no resemblance to any tool 
used for driving nails into wood.  It 
is a metal ball, similar to the shot, 
which is attached to a 4' long thick 
wire with a loop grip at its end.  
The total weight of ball and wire is
16 lbs.  The hammer is thrown 
from a circle -- the thrower holds 
the grip with both hands, spins 
around and releases.   

The hammer is another Olympic 
event whose roots are found not 
in ancient Greece, but in Celtic 
games played in the British Isles.  
Irish-born American immigrant John
Flanagan is considered the father 
of the modern hammer throw.  He 
won Gold in the event in 1900, 
1904 and 1908, and raised the 
distance record for a throw from 
under 146' to nearly 185' in 15 
years.  Until Al Oerter won the 
discus event 4 consecutive times, 
Flanagan was the only Olympic 
athlete to win three successive 
Golds in an athletic event. 

Only men participate in the 
hammer.  In recent years, Eastern 
Europeans and the Soviets have 
come to dominate the hammer 
throw.