World Records
Men’s World Record Progression
Current World Record: 86.76 meters
Current World Record Holder: Yuriy Sedykh (Soviet Union)
| Mark | Athlete | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 57.77 | Pat Ryan (USA) | 17 August 1913 | New York City, United States |
| 59.00 | Erwin Blask (GER) | 27 August 1938 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 59.02 | Imre Németh (HUN) | 14 July 1948 | Tata, Hungary |
| 59.57 | Imre Németh (HUN) | 4 September 1949 | Katowice, Poland |
| 59.88 | Imre Németh (HUN) | 19 May 1950 | Budapest, Hungary |
| 60.34 | József Csermák (HUN) | 24 July 1952 | Helsinki, Finland |
| 61.25 | Sverre Strandli (NOR) | 14 September 1952 | Olso, Norway |
| 62.36 | Sverre Strandli (NOR) | 5 September 1953 | Oslo, Norway |
| 63.34 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 29 August 1954 | Bern, Switzerland |
| 64.05 | Stanislav Nenashev (URS) | 12 December 1954 | Baku, Soviet Union |
| 64.33 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 4 August 1955 | Warsaw, Poland |
| 64.52 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 19 September 1955 | Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
| 65.85 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 25 April 1956 | Nalchik, Soviet Union |
| 66.38 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 8 July 1956 | Minsk, Soviet Union |
| 67.32 | Mikhail Krivonosov (URS) | 22 October 1956 | Tashkent, Soviet Union |
| 68.54 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 2 November 1956 | Los Angeles, United States |
| 68.68 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 20 June 1958 | Bakersfield, United States |
| 70.33 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 12 August 1960 | Walnut, United States |
| 70.67 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 21 July 1962 | Palo Alto, United States |
| 71.06 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 29 May 1965 | Ceres, South Africe |
| 71.26 | Harold Connolly (USA) | 20 June 1965 | Walnut, United States |
| 73.74 | Gyula Zsivótzky (HUN) | 4 September 1965 | Debrecen, Hungary |
| 73.76 | Gyula Zsivótzky (HUN) | 14 September 1968 | Budapest, Hungary |
| 74.52 | Romuald Klim (URS) | 15 June 1969 | Budapest, Hungary |
| 74.68 | Anatoliy Bondarchuk (URS) | 20 September 1969 | Athens, Greece |
| 75.48 | Anatoliy Bondarchuk (URS) | 12 October 1969 | Rivne, Soviet Union |
| 76.40 | Walter Schmidt (FRG) | 4 September 1971 | Lahr, West Germany |
| 76.60 | Reinhard Theimer (GDR) | 4 July 1974 | Leipzig, East Germany |
| 76.66 | Aleksey Spiridonov (URS) | 11 September 1974 | Munich, West Germany |
| 76.70 | Karl-Hans Riehm (FRG) | 19 May 1975 | Rehlingen, West Germany |
| 77.56 | Karl-Hans Riehm (FRG) | 19 May 1975 | Rehlingen, West Germany |
| 78.50 | Karl-Hans Riehm (FRG) | 19 May 1975 | Rehlingen, West Germany |
| 79.30 | Walter Schmidt (FRG) | 14 August 1975 | Frankfurt am Main, West Germany |
| 80.14 | Boris Zaychuk (URS) | 9 July 1978 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 80.32 | Karl-Hans Riehm (FRG) | 6 August 1978 | Heidenheim, West Germany |
| 80.38 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 16 May 1980 | Leselidze, Soviet Union |
| 80.46 | Jüri Tamm (URS) | 16 May 1980 | Leselidze, Soviet Union |
| 80.64 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 16 May 1980 | Leselidze, Soviet Union |
| 81.66 | Sergey Litvinov (URS) | 24 May 1980 | Sochi, Soviet Union |
| 81.80 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 31 July 1980 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 83.98 | Sergey Litvinov (URS) | 4 June 1982 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 84.14 | Sergey Litvinov (URS) | 21 June 1983 | Moscow, Soviet Union |
| 86.34 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 3 July 1984 | Cork, Ireland |
| 86.66 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 22 June 1986 | Tallinn, Soviet Union |
| 86.74 | Yuriy Sedykh (URS) | 30 August 1986 | Stuttgart, West Germany |
Women’s World Record Progression
Current World Record: 79.42 meters
Current World Record Holder: Betty Heidler (Germany)
| Mark | Athlete | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66.84 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 23 February 1994 | Adler, Russia |
| 66.86 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 4 March 1995 | Bucharest, Romania |
| 67.00 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 24 May 1995 | Moscow, Russia |
| 68.14 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 5 June 1995 | Moscow, Russia |
| 68.16 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 5 June 1995 | Moscow, Russia |
| 69.42 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 12 May 1996 | Bucharest, Romania |
| 69.58 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 8 March 1997 | Bucharest, Romania |
| 71.22 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 22 June 1997 | Munich, Germany |
| 73.10 | Olga Kuzenkova (RUS) | 22 June 1997 | Munich, Germany |
| 73.14 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 16 July 1998 | Poiana Brasov, Romania |
| 75.29 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 13 May 1999 | Clermont-Ferrand, France |
| 75.97 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 13 May 1999 | Clermont-Ferrand, France |
| 76.05 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 29 August 1999 | Rüdlingen, Switzerland |
| 76.07 | Mihaela Melinte (ROM) | 29 August 1999 | Rüdlingen, Switzerland |
| 77.06 | Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) | 15 July 2005 | Moscow, Russia |
| 77.26 | Gulfiya Khanafeyeva (RUS) | 12 June 2006 | Tula, Russia |
| 77.41 | Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) | 24 June 2006 | Zhukovskiy, Russia |
| 77.80 | Tatyana Lysenko (RUS) | 15 August 2006 | Tallinn, Estonia |
| 77.96 | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | 22 August 2009 | Berlin, Germany |
| 78.30 | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | 6 June 2010 | Bydgoszcz, Poland |
| 79.42 | Betty Heidler (GER) | 21 May 2011 | Halle, Germany |
| 79.58 | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | 31 August 2014 | Berlin, Germany |
| 81.08 | Anita Włodarczyk (POL) | 1 August 2015 | Cetniewo, Poland |
As the last American to win Olympic gold in the hammer throw, Harold Connolly dedicated his life to the event. It was his goal to see America once again among the world's best in the event.