铁饼比赛是一项古老的运动，起源于公元前12世纪—公元前8世纪的希腊人投掷石片的运动，现在为田径比赛中投掷类项目比赛之一。从1896年开始，男子铁饼一直是奥运会的比赛项目之一，1928年女子铁饼也进入了奥运会的比赛。

铁饼为圆盘形，中间厚，四周薄，多以金属和木料制成，男子铁饼重约2.005—2.025公斤，直径21.8—22.1厘米；女子铁饼重约1.005—1.025公斤，直径18—18.2厘米。

铁饼比赛中，运动员用单手投掷。

近代第一届奥运会于一**六年在希腊雅典举行，美国人甘瑞特（Robert Garret）获得冠军，成绩为29.15公尺。

The discus throw ( pronunciation) is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by the fifth-century-B.C. Myron statue, Discobolus. Although not part of the modern pentathlon, it was one of the events of the ancient Greek pentathlon, which can be dated back to at least to 708 BC.