David and Goliath
In the tables below are some of the top performing shot putters of all time, their weight in kilograms, and the distance they threw in metres.
Look at the two data sets. Do any results stand out?
What questions occur to you?
Choose appropriate statistical analyses to answer some of your questions.
Are there any other data you will need to collect?
You may wish to download this spreadsheet containing the two data sets.
It is suggested that heavier competitors are at an advantage in the shot put.
Do the data support that claim?
What would be the effect on the competition of introducing weight categories (like those found in boxing or weightlifting), or giving lighter shots to lighter competitors?
| Name | Weight (kg) | Distance (m) |
| Randy Barnes | 137 | 23.12 |
| Ulf Timmermann | 118 | 23.06 |
| Alessandro Andrei | 118 | 22.91 |
| Werner Günthör | 130 | 22.75 |
| Kevin Toth | 144 | 22.67 |
| Udo Beyer | 135 | 22.64 |
| John Brenner | 127 | 22.52 |
| Adam Nelson | 115 | 22.51 |
| Reese Hoffa | 133 | 22.43 |
| Sergey Smirnov | 126 | 22.24 |
| John Godina | 129 | 22.20 |
| Sergey Gavryushin | 95 | 22.10 |
| Sergey Kasnauskas | 126 | 22.09 |
| Aleksandr Baryshnikov | 130 | 22.00 |
| Gregg Tafralis | 132 | 21.98 |
| Mikhail Kostin | 120 | 21.96 |
| Tomasz Majewski | 132 | 21.95 |
| Remigius Machura | 118 | 21.93 |
| Cottrell J. Hunter | 135 | 21.87 |
| Mike Stulce | 122 | 21.82 |
Women's Shot Put:
| Name | Weight (kg) | Distance (m) |
| Natalya Lisovskaya | 105 | 22.63 |
| Ilona Briesenick | 95 | 22.45 |
| Helena Fibingerová | 95 | 22.32 |
| Claudia Losch | 84 | 22.19 |
| Meisu Li | 92 | 21.76 |
| Natalya Akhrimenko | 90 | 21.73 |
| Vita Pavlysh | 90 | 21.69 |
| Xinmei Sui | 90 | 21.66 |
| Verzhinia Veselinova | 95 | 21.61 |
| Margitta Pufe | 90 | 21.58 |
| Ines Müller | 90 | 21.57 |
| Nunu Abashidze | 105 | 21.53 |
| Zhihong Huang | 100 | 21.52 |
| Larisa Peleshenko | 95 | 21.46 |
| Heike Hartwig | 95 | 21.31 |
| Liane Schmuhl | 90 | 21.27 |
| Astrid Kumbernuss | 90 | 21.22 |
| Kathrin Neimke | 90 | 21.21 |
| Helma Knorscheidt | 90 | 21.19 |
| Heidi Krieger | 95 | 21.10 |
Data source: IAAF
Mass of shot for male competitors: 7.260 kg (16 lb)
Mass of shot for female competitors: 4 kg (8.82 lb)
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