Did you know: The sporting event of Discus was known in the days of the Greek poet Homer, who mentions it in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and it was one of five events included in the pentathlon in the ancient Olympic Games. Throwing the discus was introduced as an event in modern athletics when the Olympic Games were revived at Athens in 1896.

Odysseus, ragged and unrecognised on his long journey home, used his prowess as a discus thrower to prove his credentials as a true Greek and person of quality to his sceptical hosts.

Although it was not a major event in ancient Greek athletics, where it only existed as one of the elements of the pentathlon, it has a special place in modern athletics as the only event with purely Hellenistic roots. Boxing, wrestling, running and equestrianism may have all been more important to the Greeks, but they shared them with many other cultures; the discus was theirs alone.

(quote from unknown author)

A truly Greek sporting event.

GERD, YOU FANTASTIC MAN! PROUD AGAIN!

Gold in Beijing, bronze in London. You deserve all of it.