As a long time throws coach this thread intrigued me. It seems there are a ton of ill informed trackies talking about things they have absolutely no clue about.
Ill admit it on the women’s side there are some seemingly unhealthy looking throwers. Why that is I don’t know... “mass moves mass” is the generic bs answer but I tend to think the women’s implements are too damned light for them. The bigger women must be explosive to throw as far as they do, but how much further they could potentially throw if there were even a little fit is a tough thing to investigate. Deanna Price is a great example. She has definitely added some weight over the last year or two, but also just won a world championship. Could she have done so if she were 30, 40, 50 lbs lighter? Who knows. She won and that’s all that matters. If she retired today she could probably cut down in the blink of an eye, and hopefully she would. But again who knows. That being said there are a few outliers. Maggie Ewen is one of the most fun throwers to watch, being world class in multiple events along with being very fit. And Val Allman isn’t only a US Champion in disc but she’s also a damned dime knockout. There are others but the numbers surely favor the heavier females.
On the other hand on the guys side the days of the beer belly slob are looooong gone.
Chuck has been jacked since he first came on the scene as a high schooler. He’s a genetic freak and the prototypical new school thrower. To assume he’s on gear is quite ignorant. He’s looked like that since he’s been 14 or 15. The current crop of elite throwers are arguably the best athletes in track and field today and far from fat and sloppy. Crouser, Kovacs, Hill, Whiting etc are all barrel chested behemoths who can also jump out of the gym AND keep pace with elite sprinters for 20-30 meters. Jacko Gill has crazy workout vids posted on YouTube that any elite athlete would have a tough time completing. Filip Mihaljevic is Ivan Drago reincarnate and could be playing power forward for his country with his body type. Tom Walsh is one of the smaller guys but the dude is so damned explosive I’m surprised he doesn’t leave a crater in the earth when he reverses in the circle. Olympic Champion Tomas Majewski looks like a damned oak tree, no flab. As does Storl and the entire German crew. Stipe Zunic was a world class javelin thrower and kick boxer BEFORE he was a world class shotputter. And these are just some of the putters. In the disc you have dudes like Sam Mattis, who much like Chuck, has been a damned freight train since he was 10. Kibwe, the best American hammer thrower on the men’s side in recent memory could probably have done anything athletically that he wanted. Basketball, football, oly lifting, powerlifting, body building, strongman, volleyball, darts, thumb wrestling.... anything. That dude was and is in fantastic shape. He just happened to fall in love with hammer... not a slob. I could go on... on the men’s side at least there are far more freaks than fat asses. Go to any random high school meet and yeah sometimes “the fat kid” is the best thrower, but as you go up in levels it’s the kids who played soccer or football and basketball that are the studs in the circle. Rolly Polly doesn’t win today. Athletes who can jump and move do.
And that’s not gyno... not even close. I could google some pics and slap them up here but nobody wants that. Way to stereotype though. If a thrower is in shape they must be using? I don’t know if he is or isn’t 15% body fat, but to be 6’3, 260-270ish I’m guessing AND have a six pack is ripped in my book. Just saying.