Top 6 Best Women's Weight Throwers of All Time

Women’s weight throw has one of the most interesting world record histories of any sport. Each of the top ten records has been set since 2011, as the event has entered a golden age on the women’s side. Elite women’s weight throwers have perfected their technique through years of practice and combine that with tremendous strength and athleticism to achieve record throws. Keep reading below to learn about the six best women’s weight throwers of all time.

What are the best women’s weight throwers in the world?

1. Anita Włodarczyk
2. DeAnna Price
3. Betty Heidler
4. Tatyana Lysenko
5. Zheng Wang
6. Gwen Berry

1. Anita Włodarczyk

• World Record Holder in Women’s Weight Throw (82.98 meters/272 feet, 3 inches)
• Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist
• Four-Time World Championships Gold Medalist

Without a doubt, Anita Włodarczyk is the greatest women’s weight thrower of all time. In 2016 she set a new world record, and even today, her mark stands nearly nine feet above the next-best throw ever. She has absolutely dominated the sport, winning three straight gold medals at the 2012, 2016, and 2021 Olympic Games. She has also taken home four gold medals from both the World Championships and European Championships. Włodarczyk is the best weight thrower from her country, winning her first National Championship in 2009 before going on to win eight straight national titles from 2011-2018.

2. DeAnna Price

• Holds the Record For Second-Farthest Women’s Weight Throw Ever (80.31 meters/263 feet, 6 inches)
• One-Time World Championships Gold Medalist
• Three-Time National Champion (United States)

One of the best young talents in the sport, DeAnna Price is second on the world record leaderboard and is first among all women from NACAC (North America, the Caribbean, and Canada). In 2018, she won the World Continental Cup, and the next year she went on to capture a gold medal at the World Championships. Price has also been among the best in American competition, repeating as the National Champion in 2018 and 2019, as well as winning her third title in 2021. She also took home a gold medal at the 2018 National Indoor Championship and was a two-time NCAA National Champion during her collegiate career. 

3. Betty Heidler

• Holds the Record For Third-Farthest Women’s Weight Throw Ever (79.42 meter/260 feet, 7 inches)
• One-Time Olympic Silver Medalist
• One-Time World Championships Gold Medalist

When Betty Heidler heaved her weight over 260 feet in 2011 in her home country of Germany, it was the second-farthest throw ever in the history of the sport. She has since fallen to third on the records list, but her accomplishments are that of an all-time great. In 2012, she won a silver medal at the Olympics, and in the same year captured a National Championship in Germany. She was far from done in Germany, however, as she won 11-straight national titles from 2005-2016. She was also a one-time gold medalist at the World Championships as well as a two-time silver medalist.

4. Tatyana Lysenko

• Holds the Record For Fifth-Farthest Women’s Weight Throw Ever (78.51 meter/257 feet, 6 inches)
• One-Time World Championships Gold and Silver Medalist
• One-Time European Championships Gold and Silver Medalist

The oldest member of this list, Tatyana Lysenko's career won’t be forgotten any time soon. In 2005, she won silver at the World Championships, and the next year she was able to seize gold at the European Championships. Lysenko didn’t stop there, winning another silver at the European Championships and an additional gold at the Worlds. Lysenko was also dominant in her native land of Russia, winning five National Championships, including four straight from 2009-2012. She set three world records in her career, with her personal best throw in 2012 coming in at second on the world record leaderboard at the time.

5. Zheng Wang

• Holds the Record For the Eighth-Farthest Women’s Weight Throw Ever (77.68 meters/254 feet, 10 inches)
• One-Time Olympic Silver Medalist
• One-Time World Championships Silver Medalist

One of the best Asian women’s weight throwers of all time, Zheng Wang is one of just two women from the continent to be in the Top 40 on the world record leaderboard. She was great in Asian competition, winning three national championships in China, two golds at the Asian Championships, and three silvers at the Asian Games. Venturing abroad, Wang was still a force to be reckoned with, winning two bronzes and a silver medal at the World Championships and taking home the silver medal at the 2021 Olympic Games.

6. Gwen Berry

• Holds the Record For the Seventh-Farthest Women’s Weight Throw Ever (77.78 meters/255 feet, 2 inches)
• One-Time Pan Am Games Gold Medalist
• Three-Time National Indoor Championships Gold Medalist

One of the many great American weight throwers of the 21st century, Gwen Berry is a name known all across her sport. She took home third place at the NACAC Under-23 Championships in 2010, and she was just getting started. She won a National Championship for the United States in 2017, and in 2019 captured the gold medal at the Pan Am Games. However, Berry did her best work under the roof, winning three National Indoor Championships during her career. She got her first title in 2013 and defended her top spot in 2014, before returning to win the event for a third time in 2017.

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