The two-time reigning World Champion (2013 and 2015), and the favorite in Rio de Janeiro, was Paweł Fajdek of Poland.

With the ban of the Russian team from the Olympics, eliminating three top throwers in the world (and their potentially drug affected performances throwing off the bell curve), the IAAF had to lower the qualification standard to 77.00 meters.

Three American throwers Conor McCullough, Kibwé Johnson and Rudy Winkler, whose best marks were just below 77 meters, along with Amanmurad Hommadov, Javier Cienfuegos and Esref Apak were invited to fill the quota.

Drygol is a 50 year old, former Soviet thrower who switched his citizenship from Ukraine to Israel in 2016 in order to enter the Olympics.

One of them was 40 year old Ivan Tsikhan, who was previously stripped of a 2004 Olympic medal for doping and is only able to compete due to a second violation being overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on a procedural technicality.

Number one in the world, with the top 24 performances (meaning 24 separate meets) over the last two years, Paweł Fajdek, did not get out of the qualifying round, only managing 72.00 m to finish in 17th place.

A few throwers later, Ashraf Amgad Elseify, a Sri Lankan born, Egyptian free agent throwing for Qatar threw 75.40, to move into third.

In the fifth round, Marcel Lomnicky moved into fourth with a 75.97 and Elseify improved, before solidified his hold on silver with a 77.79, which Nazarov answered with a 78.68 m (258 ft 1 in) that proved to be the winner.

In the final round, Wojciech Nowicki threw 77.73 m, to leap from seventh place to the bronze medal, just 6 cm out of silver.

The following evening the medals were presented by Irena Szewińska, IOC member, Poland and Sergey Bubka, Senior Vice President of the IAAF.