Best Hammer Throwers of All Time
Who are the greatest hammer throwers of all time? Explore the leading athletes in Sport Ranking’s historical Athletics ranking, based on results from major international competitions across different eras.
Greatest Men’s Hammer Throwers
Hammer Men
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuriy Sedykh | Russia | 182 |
| 2 | John Flanagan | United States | 98 |
| 3 | Sergey Litvinov | Soviet Union | 89 |
| 4 | Koji Murofushi | Japan | 85 |
| 5 | Pat Ryan | United States | 84 |
| 6 | Hal Connolly | United States | 77 |
| 7 | Paweł Fajdek | Poland | 74 |
| 8 | Primož Kozmus | Slovenia | 73 |
| 9 | Gyula Zsivótzky | Hungary | 69 |
| 10 | Igor Astapkovich | Belarus | 66 |
Greatest Women’s Hammer Throwers
Hammer Women
| # | Athlete | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anita Włodarczyk | Poland | 182 |
| 2 | Yipsi Moreno | Cuba | 126 |
| 3 | Olga Kuzenkova | Russia | 111 |
| 4 | Mihaela Melinte | Romania | 67 |
| 5 | Betty Heidler | Germany | 66 |
| 6 | Zhang Wenxiu | China | 61 |
| 7 | Camryn Rogers | Canada | 60 |
| 8 | Tatyana Lysenko | Russia | 46 |
| 9 | Kamila Skolimowska | Poland | 42 |
| 10 | Wang Zheng | China | 34 |
How the All-Time Ranking Works
The ranking is based on global and continental championships, which are weighted according to their importance on the international stage. The system also includes the Diamond League and its historical predecessors.
Team events are valued at three times the points of individual disciplines to increase their importance in national rankings, but they are not included in individual rankings. The World Athletics Awards do not count towards the discipline rankings, only towards the overall athletics ranking.
The achievement and holding of a world record are also rewarded, representing a significant performance milestone. Holding the world record on short distances has only been awarded points since the time of automatic timing.
Learn more about Athletics scoring →