The o’brien glide

THE FLAW

• Shot put then had one basic rule: stay within the seven-foot ring and throw it over the shoulder. Aping the hammer-throw swing was declared illegal. So the routine was: a flatfooted sideways turn followed by the heave. With the thrower stationed in the centre, the back of the ring was wasted

THE EUREKA MOMENT

• Since O’Brien was a shot putter, discus thrower and relay runner, he spent a lot of time hopping from meet to meet. Back in the early 1950s that meant train journeys, and on one such journey, he realised what he needed to do: utilise the back of the ring

THE TRADEMARK

• O’Brien moved his position from the side of the circle to the back with his eyes and head in the opposite direction to the throwing area. He started with a hop across the circle and by the time he reached the toe board he was perfectly anchored for the throw. The physics was flawless: One can get more speed if one travels with the object constantly applying the same force for an extended period. An LA Times reporter called it the ‘‘O’Brien Glide’’ because of the smooth move across the ring

THE RESULT

• The first time he tried it, months before the 1952 Helsinki Games, he gained two and a half feet. He won gold that year and started a spectacular streak: 116 consecutive meets without a loss. He broke the world record 13 times and his mark stood for 10 years

THE LEGACY

• Watch the shot put event at Athens and see all the throwers glide in the ring

— Sandeep Dwivedi

(Source: Eureka: How Innovation Changes the Olympic Games by John Naber)