Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first recorded instance of a human hurling a heavy sphere for distance dates back to the Scottish Highlands around the first century. This practice evolved from soldiers holding contests hurling cannonballs during the Middle Ages into the formalized event known today as the shot put.
An American athlete named Parry O'Brien revolutionized the sport in 1951 by inventing the glide technique. This linear movement involves facing the rear of the circle and rotating 180 degrees to toss the shot while utilizing a specific crouch to generate explosive power.
The rotational technique or spin was first practiced in Europe in the 1950s but did not gain significant attention until the 1970s. Aleksandr Baryshnikov began using it to set world records and became the first shot putter to cross the 22-meter mark in 1976.
A legal throw requires the shot to be released above the height of the shoulder using only one hand while resting close to the neck. The throwing circle has a diameter of 2.135 meters and features a toe board that is 10 centimeters high at the front which the athlete may touch but cannot step over.
Women's shot put competition began in the 1948 Olympics. The event has seen legendary figures like Natalya Lisovskaya set the women's outdoor world record of 22.63 meters on the 7th of June 1987 in Moscow.
Ryan Crouser holds the current world record of 23.37 meters which he set at the Los Angeles Grand Prix on the 27th of May 2023. His success is attributed to his unique Crouser Slide move added to his spin technique that allows him to generate unprecedented power and speed.