WCH Tokyo 25 facts and figures: men's hammer

Last three sets of World Athletics Championships medallists

2023: Ethan Katzberg (CAN) – 81.25m, Wojciech Nowicki (POL) – 81.02m, Bence Halász (HUN) – 80.82m
2022: Paweł Fajdek (POL) – 81.98m, Wojciech Nowicki (POL) – 81.03m, Eivind Henriksen (NOR) – 80.87m
2019*: Paweł Fajdek (POL) – 80.50m, Quentin Bigot (FRA) – 78.19m, Bence Halász (HUN) – 78.18m, Wojciech Nowicki (POL) – 77.69m

*Nowicki was originally fourth but it was protested that the bronze-winning open throw of Halász [78.18] should have been ruled a foul. On watching video of the trial, the Jury of Appeal agreed that the throw was irregular and awarded Nowicki a bronze. But they also allowed Halász to keep his medal “in fairness” on the grounds that he had continued in the competition (fouling four times) thinking he’d produced a medal-worthy throw

Last two sets of Olympic medallists

Longest winning throws in World Athletics Championships history

Ivan Tikhon (BLR) – 83.63m (2007)
Szymon Ziółkowski (POL) – 83.38m (2001)
Sergey Litvinov (URS) – 83.06m (1987)

Shortest winning throw in World Athletics Championships history

Paweł Fajdek (POL) – 79.81m (2017)

Best marks on Japanese soil

​​84.60m 1 Yuriy Sedykh (URS/RUS) - Tokyo 14.09.1984
83.66m 1 Juri Tamm (URS/EST) - Tokyo 22.09.1985
83.63m 1 Ivan Tikhon (BLR) - Osaka (World Championships) 27.08.2007

Best marks on Asian soil

84.80m 1 Sergey Litvinov (URS/RUS) - Seoul (Olympics) 26.09.1988
84.60m 1 Yuriy Sedykh (URS/RUS) - Tokyo 14.09.1984
83.76m 2 Yuriy Sedykh (URS/RUS) - Seoul (Olympics) 26.09.1988

Biggest winning margins

3.25m – 2005: Vadim Devyatovskiy (BLR) – 82.60m, Szymon Ziółkowski (POL) – 79.35m
2.69m – 2003: Ivan Tikon (BLR) – 83.05m, Adrián Annus (HUN) – 80.36m
2.33m – 2015: Paweł Fajdek (POL) – 80.88m, Dilshod Nazarov (TJK) – 78.55m

​​Smallest winning margins

0.06m – 2011: Koji Murofushi (JPN) – 81.24m, Krisztián Pars (HUN) – 81.18m
0.23m – 2023: Ethan Katzberg (CAN) – 81.25m, Wojciech Nowicki (POL) – 81.02m
0.32m – 1997: Heinz Weis (GER) – 81.78m, Andrey Skvaruk (UKR) – 81.46m

Best mark by round

Qualification — 81.85m Szymon Ziółkowski (POL), 2001
Final — 83.63m Ivan Tikhon (BLR), 2007

Multiple winners

1983/87 - Sergey Litvinov (URS/RUS)
1993/95 - Andrey Abduvaliyev (TJK)
2003/07 - Ivan Tikhon (BLR)
2013/15/17/19/22 - Paweł Fajdek (POL)

Winners by country

6 - Poland
3 - Soviet Union
3 - Belarus
2 - Tajikistan
2 - Germany
1 - Japan
1 - Slovenia
1 - Canada

Five historic facts

• Paweł Fajdek (POL) became just the second athlete in World Championships history after Sergey Bubka in the pole vault (1983-97) to win five world titles in the same event after winning gold in Oregon in 2022. 
• Ethan Katzberg (CAN) became the event’s youngest world champion after winning in 2023 at the age of 21y/137d
• Japan has had success in this event in the past courtesy of the legendary Koji Murofushi who won gold in 2011 when he became the event’s oldest champion at 36y/325d. He also won silver in 2001 and bronze in 2003
• Ivan Tikhon (BLR) set the championship record of 83.63m when Japan hosted the World Championships in Osaka in 2007
• Tajikstan's only medals in World Championships history have come in the men's hammer. Andrey Abduvaliyev won gold in 1993 and 1995 and Dilshod Nazarov won silver in 2015

Potential storylines

• Surprisingly, Hungary has never won a gold medal in any event in the history of the World Athletics Championships. Can world leader Bence Halasz (HUN) become the first athlete to do so?
• Can Ethan Katzberg (CAN) win his third successive major title in the event? 
• Can Pawel Fajdek win a record sixth medal in the hammer? He shares the record of five medals won with compatriot Wojciech Nowicki who is injured and not competing. Fajdek said: “I have five world titles but did not manage to win in Budapest 2023. Now I am full of hopes to take this title back. This season’s results suggest if I want to get the podium, I should throw over 80m. Believe me, I’m ready.”
• Can Rudy Winkler (USA) become the first American medallist in the men’s hammer in World Championships history? By contrast the United States have won five of the last nine medals on offer in the women’s hammer
• At 19, the youngest athlete on the entry-list for the men’s hammer is Armin Szabados (HUN). He recently won the European U20 title by over eight metres with 82.91m with the 6kg implement and he is ranked 14th on the entry-list with 78.06m with the senior implement
• Six throwers on the entry-list have surpassed the 81 metre-barrier in 2025