Deuchars World Highland Games Heavy Events Championship

The Gathering 2009 will be hosting the 2009 Deuchars World Highland Games Heavy Events Championship. The top 10-12 leading "Heavies" will compete in 8 core disciplines, including tossing the caber.

Legally registered on 25^th May 1973 the World Highland Games Heavy Events Championships has become the most important date in the calendar for leading international 'heavies'. Great athletes from home and abroad have competed in the World Championships. Many Olympic Games competitors and Commonwealth medalists and champions from nearly every continent have entered the lists, Australians, Canadians, Americans, African, European stars have thrilled people over the years. With a number of events it is a gruelling competition which draws the crowd's attention, holding a very important position in the Highland Games programme. Athletic sports and competitions, historically, were the main feature at any Highland Games and many today still consider Highland athletics are what the games are all about.

Here is an overview of the events, so you can learn about what you will see over the two days:

TOSSING THE CABER

Contrary to general belief, athletes do not aim to throw the caber further than their opponents; they try to toss it ‘straighter'. A ‘12 o'clock throw' is perfect and judging is easily understood if you visualise the caber as the hour hand of a clock with the thick end of the caber at the centre of the clock face and the athlete tossing from the 6 o'clock position. 

PUTTING THE STONE (two events)

Putting the Stone has long been one of Scotland's favourite sporting events. Indeed it became so popular during the reign of Edward III that a law was passed to make Stone putting illegal! This was because archery, so essential for national defence, was being neglected. Like the stones used at Highland Gatherings, the ones being used in this competition come from the bed of a Scottish river where the action of the water has gradually worn the stone to a shape and smoothness required for this event. There are two different versions of the stone put, the "Braemar Stone" which weighs 20-26 lb, where the contestant stands still while throwing, and the "Open Stone" which weighs 16-22 lb where the contestant is allowed a ‘run-up', so long as the stone is put with one hand with the stone resting cradled in the neck until the moment of release.

THROWING THE HAMMER (two events)

Just like other throwing events, the competition is graded on who can throw the hammer the furthest. The ‘Hammer Throw' derived from old competitions where an actual sledge-hammer was thrown, nowadays however the hammer is replaced with a steel or lead weight.  One of the adopted methods derived from one of the most significant players in Hammer Throwing, Donald Dinnie. Back in the 19^th century, he was the first athletes to turn the hammer a full 360 degrees before releasing. The turns allowed the athlete to achieve a much greater distance. This marked a significant split between the traditional Scottish Highland games and modern track and field athletics.  There are two events in this category which differ only in the weight of the hammer: light (16-lb.) and heavy (22-lb.)

THROWING THE WEIGHT FOR HEIGHT

Throwing the weight for height was originally practiced in farmyards where an object such as a barrel top would be suspended from a pulley at the hay loft or alternatively from a branch of a tree. Nowadays, athletes throw a 56 pound (4stone) weight with an attached handle over a bar on stands as used in the pole vault. Three consecutive failures eliminates the thrower from the contest. 

THROWING THE WEIGHT FOR DISTANCE (two events)

This is probably the most graceful of the heavy events but the footwork necessary is very intricate. The technicalities have much more in common with discus throwing although the weight used by our champion athletes is about ten times heavier.  There are two separate events in this category, with two different weights, 28lb and 56lb. The athlete throwing one handed, usually adopts a spinning technique, with the longest throw winning.