Who Throws Like Youri?

Our Contest

Would you like to nominate any hammer thrower, male or female, current or past, who you believe throws or threw like Youri's personal technique? If you have a video or link to a video along with the name of the thrower, please, send them to me.

I'll post the videos and names and share them with our hammer throwing family. There can be multiple winners.

Winner[s] can receive their choice:

Youri's 13 for 13 DVD or "Art and Science of Hammer Throwing"

No entry fee is necessary. The contest will close Midnight EDT August 30th, 2026.

1. Conor McCullough Jr.

Static start.
Looks out to the right when winding.
Delays eyes at 0° on entry swing. Drops hands and elbows down on entry swing.
Winds progressively left.
In line with the ball and finds a balanced centre of mass between him and the ball to both rotate around.
Shoulders down and rounded, arms long and limp.
Low sit lock in, natural dynamic acceleration with the ball due to exact timing of acceleration swing before and through 0°.
Low point in front through 0° on entry and all subsequent turns. No drifting low point, efficient wire tension conservation.
Long swings from 225° to 135°.
Unhindered final turn and natural long delivery with weight over the left foot on release.
Conor took advantage of his long arms for a big radius and had very clear active and passive phases in each turn. This created smooth rhythm and deep catch position to untorque out of naturally.
A big foot (God bless him) so staying in might at being hard with trending 4 turns.
Brave to go down 3 turn technique when almost everybody else was on four. Paved his own path and had great success off 4 swings.

Coach John Dwyer - Ireland

Level Three Athletics Coaching

2. Gary Halpin

Throwing here in masters competition and 1988 Manhattan College NCAA Champion .
Gary passed away 4 years ago from a heart attack.
He loved Youri’s technique and we tried to model his the same way.
Gary was influenced by throwing as a junior in the 1984 Cork City Games with Youri and Litvinov.
He was from Kilkenny Ireland .
I started coaching him in 86 and all he wanted to do was use Youri’s technique.
He was a three turner and we watched and even trained like Youri.
Gary threw in the 87 world championship for Ireland .

Gary was 19 at the 1984 Cork Meet and threw the 16# 58 meters.

Always kidded him about getting beat by 28 meters.

Dan Mecca

USA National Team Coach

IC4A/ECAC Technical Advisor

3. Carl Shields

Carl is putting his money where is mouth is and allowing his younger self to be judged as "throwing like Youri."

This was in 2008 at the Michigan State Senior Games. It was a beautiful day to toss the hammer ball.

Carl was a "hobby" thrower training once a week on throwing technique and once a week on special exercises.

In 1975, Carl met Youri in Rome, Italy at the World University Games. Youri's teammates thought Carl looked like his brother. There still might be a slight resemblance 33 years later in looks, but not distance.

Carl in this video did 2 winds and 3 turns. At the time, other throwers thought Carl "threw like Youri." He had a rhythm and smoothness that stunned spectators on how far the hammer ball was launched.

At a Keystone State Games one of the young women who marked the hammer told people to come watch this old man best the younger throwers - teaching them a lesson.

Carl might be Youri's number 1 fan of all times with his passion for hammer throwing - his wife might call it an obsession. She said, Carl looked elegant throwing, not trying to muscle the hammer like many of his competitors.

Comment from one of our followers:

"You've been holding out on us! You seem to get more and more contact with the ball on each turn. Nice."

Who Throws Like Youri?

It’s a wrap!

Our Contest

Nominees

1. Conor McCullough Jr.

2. Gary Halpin

3. Carl Shields