How much does the hammer for the hammer throw weigh?

The hammer throw is a class track and field event in which participants throw a metal ball attached to a thin wire. The men's hammer weighs 16 pounds, according to Hammerthrow.org. The women's hammer weighs 8.8 pounds.

The size and structure of the ball and wire have changed over time. When the sport became popular in the mid-1880s in the United Kingdom, the hammers were made of forged iron, and there was no standard weight. The actual weight of the ball varied by event. The current weight of 16 pounds for the men's hammer was established in England in 1875.