Randy Barnes

Randy Barnes is an American shot putter who won Olympic gold in 1996 and held the men’s outdoor world record from 1990 until 2021.

1996 Summer Olympics: The Summer Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia, from July 19 to August 4, 1996. Barnes won the men’s shot put at these Games.
Shot put: A track-and-field event in which athletes propel a heavy metal sphere as far as possible from a throwing circle. It is the event in which Barnes set his records and won Olympic medals.
Ulf Timmermann: A German shot putter who set the men’s outdoor world record in 1988 before Barnes surpassed it. His record was the benchmark Barnes broke in 1990.
Steroid use in athletics: The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids to enhance athletic performance. Barnes received a lifetime ban after testing positive for a prohibited anabolic steroid.
1988 Summer Olympics: The Summer Olympic Games held in Seoul, South Korea, from September 17 to October 2, 1988. Barnes won the silver medal in the men’s shot put.
Rotational shot put technique: A shot-put technique in which the athlete rotates across the circle before releasing the shot. Barnes used rotational movement to generate speed before release.
Christian Cantwell: An American shot putter who won world titles and an Olympic silver medal in 2008. Cantwell became a leading American successor in the event Barnes had dominated.
Anabolic steroids: Synthetic substances related to testosterone that can increase muscle growth and strength. The substance identified in Barnes’s 1998 test belonged to this drug class.
World Athletics Championships: The international outdoor track-and-field championships organized by World Athletics. Barnes competed in the global championship circuit beyond the Olympics.
Glide technique: A shot-put technique in which the athlete moves backward across the circle before pushing the shot. It offers a contrasting approach to the rotational technique associated with Barnes.

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Jürgen SchultRelated: His still-standing throwing record invites comparison with the longevity of Schult's mark.