Throwing for distance and throwing at a predetermined target or range are the two main variations. Track and field has four throwing events that are particularly popular for long-distance competitions: the shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw. The two main target-based sports are bowling and darts, both of which have several subgenres.
Throwing sports have a long history. Modern track and field comes from a lineage of activities that dates to the Ancient Olympic Games. Artwork from Ancient Greece, in the form of friezes, pottery and statues, attests to the prominence of such sports in the society's physical culture.
