Men's discus throw world record progression

The first world record in the men's discus was recognised by the International Association of Amateur Athletics (IAAF), now known as World Athletics, in 1912, and was set by James Duncan in 1912 (47.58 m).

Memorial circle at the Ludvík Daněk Town Stadium in Turnov, Czech Republic. The Czech inscription translates as: "At this spot on August 2, 1964, Ludvík Daněk set world record in discus throw marking 64.55 m."

As of 2024, 42 world records have been ratified by World Athletics in the event.[1] Another 14 are acknowledged but are unofficial, since they were set before the founding of IAAF.

Outdoor progression

Ratified
Not ratified
Ratified but later rescinded
Pending ratification
MarkAthleteDateLocationRef
47.58 m (156 ft 1 in)  James Duncan (USA)27 May 1912New York City
47.61 m (156 ft 2+14 in)  Thomas Lieb (USA)14 September 1924Chicago
47.89 m (157 ft 1+14 in)  Glenn Hartranft (USA)2 May 1925San Francisco
48.20 m (158 ft 1+12 in)  Bud Houser (USA)3 April 1926Palo Alto
49.90 m (163 ft 8+12 in)  Eric Krenz (USA)9 April 1929Palo Alto
51.03 m (167 ft 5 in)  Eric Krenz (USA)17 May 1930Palo Alto
51.73 m (169 ft 8+12 in)  Paul Jessup (USA)23 August 1930Pittsburgh
52.42 m (171 ft 11+34 in)  Harald Andersson (SWE)25 August 1934Oslo
53.10 m (174 ft 2+12 in)  Willy Schröder (GER)28 April 1935Magdeburg
53.26 m (174 ft 8+34 in)  Archie Harris (USA)20 June 1941Palo Alto
53.34 m (175 ft 0 in)  Adolfo Consolini (ITA)26 October 1941Milan
54.23 m (177 ft 11 in)  Adolfo Consolini (ITA)14 April 1946Milan
54.93 m (180 ft 2+12 in)  Bob Fitch (USA)8 June 1946Minneapolis
55.33 m (181 ft 6+14 in)  Adolfo Consolini (ITA)10 October 1948Milan
56.46 m (185 ft 2+34 in)  Fortune Gordien (USA)9 July 1949Lisbon
56.97 m (186 ft 10+34 in)  Fortune Gordien (USA)14 August 1949Hämeenlinna
57.93 m (190 ft 12 in)  Sim Iness (USA)20 June 1953Lincoln
58.10 m (190 ft 7+14 in)  Fortune Gordien (USA)11 July 1953Pasadena
59.28 m (194 ft 5+34 in)  Fortune Gordien (USA)22 August 1953Pasadena
59.91 m (196 ft 6+12 in)  Edmund Piątkowski (POL)14 June 1959Warsaw
59.91 m (196 ft 6+12 in)  Rink Babka (USA)12 August 1960Walnut
60.56 m (198 ft 8+14 in)  Jay Silvester (USA)11 August 1961Frankfurt, West Germany
60.72 m (199 ft 2+12 in)  Jay Silvester (USA)20 August 1961Brussels, Belgium
61.10 m (200 ft 5+12 in)  Al Oerter (USA)18 May 1962Los Angeles
61.64 m (202 ft 2+34 in)  Vladimir Trusenyev (USSR)4 June 1962Leningrad, USSR[2]
62.45 m (204 ft 10+12 in)  Al Oerter (USA)1 July 1962Chicago
62.62 m (205 ft 5+14 in)  Al Oerter (USA)27 April 1963Walnut
62.94 m (206 ft 5+34 in)  Al Oerter (USA)25 April 1964Walnut
64.55 m (211 ft 9+14 in)  Ludvik Danek (TCH)2 August 1964Turnov, Czechoslovakia
65.22 m (213 ft 11+12 in)  Ludvik Danek (TCH)12 October 1965Sokolov, Czechoslovakia
66.54 m (218 ft 3+12 in)  Jay Silvester (USA)25 May 1968Modesto
68.40 m (224 ft 4+34 in) A  Jay Silvester (USA)18 September 1968Reno
68.40 m (224 ft 4+34 in)  Ricky Bruch (SWE)5 July 1972Stockholm
68.48 m (224 ft 8 in)  John van Reenen (RSA)14 March 1975Stellenbosch
69.08 m (226 ft 7+12 in)  John Powell (USA)3 May 1975Long Beach
69.18 m (226 ft 11+12 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA)24 April 1976Walnut
69.80 m (229 ft 0 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA)1 May 1976San Jose
70.24 m (230 ft 5+14 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA)1 May 1976San Jose
70.86 m (232 ft 5+34 in)  Mac Wilkins (USA)1 May 1976San Jose
71.16 m (233 ft 5+12 in)  Wolfgang Schmidt (GDR)9 August 1978Berlin
71.86 m (235 ft 9 in)  Yuriy Dumchev (USSR)29 May 1983Moscow
74.08 m (243 ft 12 in)  Jürgen Schult (GDR)6 June 1986Neubrandenburg, East Germany
74.35 m (243 ft 11 in)  Mykolas Alekna (LTU)14 April 2024Ramona[3]

On 7 July 1981 Ben Plucknett of the United States won a meet in Stockholm with a world record throw of 72.34 m (237 ft 4 in),[4] but the record was nullified by the I.A.A.F. one week later when they announced that Plucknett had tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid nortestosterone.[5]

Indoor world best progress

RecordAthleteDateMeetPlaceRef
66.20 m (217 ft 2+14 in)  Wolfgang Schmidt (GDR)9 January 1980Berlin, Germany[6]
69.51 m (228 ft 12 in)  Gerd Kanter (EST)22 March 2009World Record Indoor ChallengeVäxjö, Sweden[7]

References