We won the bronze medal!
Lyndon Victor, an Olympic decathlete from Grenada, [46] In competition, the discus is [50]
Flying object
At the tournament
From the fast flying badminton birdie to the slower, heavier shot put, we’ve covered the different speeds that play a key role in winning a medal. Is the object fast enough to go far? Is it fast enough to confuse your opponent? Will the speed make the arrow fly straight?
The Birdie and the Shot Put are completely different. The Birdie is the fastest projectile seen in the Olympics, and it’s literally as light as a feather: Made from 16 goose feathers, it weighs less than 2/10ths of an ounce (about 5 grams).
Compare this to the men’s shot, one of the heaviest and slowest objects in the Summer Olympics. It weighs a whopping 16 pounds (7.26 kilograms), the maximum weight of a bowling ball. To win a medal at the Olympics, a player must make the shot more than three-quarters of a basketball court.
As you watch the Olympics, keep in mind how much the speed of an object can affect the outcome. Follow The New York Times’ Olympics coverage.
Methodology: The speed of the object was collected using a sports radar gun. The speed was tracked throughout the flight and the peak speed was used for the game.
Sources: USA Archery, Lancaster Archery Academy, Long Island Badminton Center’s Sen Ming Tan, Olympic decathlon bronze medalist and current decathlon coach Chris Huffines, Texas Christian University combined/vertical jump assistant coach Marissa Chu, New York Indoor Sports Club’s You Xiao, USA Volleyball, Guinness World Records