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Before the establishment of the IAAF and the official ratification system, the men’s shot put World Record progression reflected the gradual transition from traditional strength contests to a standardized athletics event. Early record performances were achieved primarily in Great Britain, particularly at the Scottish Border Games, where athletes threw a 16-pound (7.26kg) stone or iron ball using techniques that varied considerably from modern shot putting. Distances improved steadily throughout the nineteenth century, increasing from William Goodfellow’s 11.43 metres in 1827 to throws approaching 15 metres by the beginning of the twentieth century.

During the years leading to the formation of the IAAF, the event became increasingly standardized as international competition expanded. American throwers emerged as the dominant force, with Ralph Rose becoming the first athlete to exceed 15 metres and setting the inaugural officially recognised IAAF World Record of 15.54 metres in 1909. His achievement marked the beginning of the modern era, paving the way for the rapid technical and performance advances that followed throughout the twentieth century.

Shot Put, men World Record Progression – Data Table

Performance	Athlete	Country	Date	Location	Competition	Note
23.56	Ryan Crouser	USA	27/5/2023	Los Angeles	Los Angeles GP
23.37	Ryan Crouser	USA	18/6/2021	Eugene	US Olympic Trials
23.12	Randy Barnes	USA	20/5/1990	Westwood LA	National Meeting
23.06	Ulf Timmermann	GDR	22/5/1988	Chania	Venizeleia Int. Meeting
22.72	Alessandro Andrei	ITA	12/8/1987	Viareggio	International Meeting
22.84	Alessandro Andrei	ITA	12/8/1987	Viareggio	International Meeting
22.91	Alessandro Andrei	ITA	12/8/1987	Viareggio	International Meeting
22.64	Udo Beyer	GDR	20/8/1986	Berlin (Ost)	Final EM Test for Stuttgart
22.62	Ulf Timmermann	GDR	22/9/1985	Berlin (Ost)	World Cup Test
22.22	Udo Beyer	GDR	25/6/1983	Los Angeles	Internatinal Match USA - GDR
22.15	Udo Beyer	GDR	6/7/1978	G?teborg	International Meeting
22.00	Aleksandr BAryshnikov	URS	10/7/1976	Paris	International Match FRA-URS
21.85	Terry Albritton	USA	21/2/1976	Honolulu	All Comers Meet
21.82	Al Feuerbach	USA	5/5/1973	San Jose	San Jose Invitational
21.78	Randy Matson	USA	22/4/1967	College Station	Randy Matson Day
21.52	Randy Matson	USA	8/5/1965	College Station	50. Southwest Conference
20.68	Dallas Long	USA	25/7/1964	Los Angeles	USA-URS Int. Match
20.20	Dallas Long	USA	29/5/1964	Los Angeles	SP-AAU-Championship
20.10	Dallas Long	USA	4/4/1964	Los Angeles	Dual Meeting Occidental - PAA
20.08	Dallas Long	USA	18/5/1962	Los Angeles	LA Col R
20.06	Bill Nieder	USA	12/8/1960	Walnut	Olympic Test
19.99	Bill Nieder	USA	2/4/1960	Austin	Texas Relays
19.67	Dallas Long	USA	26/3/1960	Los Angeles	Dual Meeting Occidental - PAA
19.45	Bill Nieder	USA	19/3/1960	Palo Alto	Stanford Relays
19.38	Dallas Long	USA	5/3/1960	Los Angeles	AAU South Pacific
19.30	Parry O' Brien	USA	1/8/1959	Albuquerque	Albuquerque Invitational
19.25	Dallas Long	USA	28/3/1959	Santa Barbara	Easter Relays
19.25	Parry O' Brien	USA	1/11/1956	Los Angeles	Pre-Olympic Meeting
19.06	Parry O' Brien	USA	3/9/1956	Eugene	Olympic Development Meet
18.69	Parry O' Brien	USA	15/6/1956	Los Angeles	LA Interservice Ch.
18.62	Parry O' Brien	USA	5/5/1956	Salt Lake City	International Meeting
18.54	Parry O' Brien	USA	11/6/1954	Los Angeles	AAU South Pacific
18.43	Parry O' Brien	USA	21/5/1954	Los Angeles	Coliseum Relays
18.42	Parry O' Brien	USA	8/5/1954	Los Angeles	UCLA-SoCal Dual Meet
18.04	Parry O' Brien	USA	5/6/1953	Compton	Compton Invitational
18.00	Parry O' Brien	USA	9/5/1953	Fresno	West Coast Relays
17.95	Jim Fuchs	USA	22/8/1950	Eskilstuna	International Meeting
17.90	Jim Fuchs	USA	20/8/1950	Visby	International Meeting
17.82	Jim Fuchs	USA	29/4/1950	Los Angeles	LA So-Cal-Michigan State-Yare Triangular
17.79	Jim Fuchs	USA	28/7/1949	Oslo	Scandinavia-USA Int. Match
17.68	Charles Fonville	USA	17/4/1948	Lawrence	Kansas Relays
17.40	John (Jack) Torrance	USA	5/8/1934	Oslo	International Meeting
16.89	John (Jack) Torrance	USA	30/6/1934	Milwaukee	AAU Championships
16.80	John (Jack) Torrance	USA	27/4/1934	Des Moines	Drake Relays
16.48	John Lyman	USA	21/4/1934	Palo Alto	Stanford Ucal Dual Meet
16.20	František Douda	TCH	24/9/1932	Praha	TCH-POL Int. Match
16.16	Leo Sexton	USA	27/8/1932	Freeport	Nassau Firemen's Games
16.05	Zygmunt Heljasz	POL	29/6/1932	Poznań	Wien-Poznan Int. Match
16.04	Franti?ek Douda	TCH	4/10/1931	Brno	TCH-AUT Int. Match
16.04	Emil Hirschfeld	GER	26/8/1928	Bochum	International Meeting
15.87	John Kuck	USA	29/7/1928	Amsterdam	The IX Olympic Games
15.79	Emil Hirschfeld	GER	6/5/1928	Breslau	East Prussia Area Match
15.54	Ralph Rose	USA	21/8/1909	San Francisco	San Francisco Club Meeting

See also: [Men’s Discus Throw WR Progression][Women’s Shot Put WR Progression]