In shot put, the athlete thrusts a metal ball, known as a shot, as far as possible with a pushing motion of the arm. The sport was practiced in the antiquity using stones, which were replaced with cannon balls in the Middle Ages.

In 1860, the dimensions and weight of the shot were regulated. The first official women’s world record measured 10.15 meters and was thrown in 1924. It wasn’t until 1977 that a female shot putter surpassed the 22-meter mark.

A decade later, in 1987, Natalya Lisovskaya set the world record in Moscow with a 22.63-meter throw. Since then, no woman has ever put a shot further than that; 23 meters remains an unreached goal.