These are the official results of the women's shot put event at the 1997 IAAF World Championships in Athens, Greece. There were a total number of 25 participating athletes, with the final held on Thursday, August 7, 1997. The qualification mark was set at 19.00 metres.
| Gold | Astrid Kumbernuss Germany (GER) | |
| Silver |  Vita PavlyshUkraine (UKR) | |
| Bronze | Stephanie Storp Germany (GER) |
| Qualification Round | ||
|---|---|---|
| Group A | Group B | |
| 05.08.1997 - 19:45h | 05.08.1997 - 19:45h | |
| Final Round | ||
| 07.08.1997 - 18:30h | ||
| Q | automatic qualification | |
| q | qualification by rank | |
| DNS | did not start | |
| NM | no mark | |
| WR | world record | |
| AR | area record | |
| NR | national record | |
| PB | personal best | |
| SB | season best |
| Standing records prior to the 1997 World Athletics Championships | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22.63 m | June 7, 1987 | ||||
| 21.24 m | September 5, 1987 | ||||
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Distance | Note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | 5 | 18.00 | 18.35 | X | 18.35 m | |||
| 2 | 6 | 16.89 | 17.87 | 18.26 | 18.26 m | |||
| 3 | 7 | 18.12 | X | X | 18.12 m | |||
| 4 | 12 | 17.89 | 17.03 | 17.36 | 17.89 m | |||
| 5 | 13 | 16.49 | 16.84 | 17.87 | 17.87 m | |||
| 6 | 15 | 17.82 | 17.68 | 17.67 | 17.82 m | |||
| 7 | 16 | X | X | 17.80 | 17.80 m | |||
| 8 | 19 | X | 17.38 | 17.71 | 17.71 m | |||
| 9 | 20 | 17.31 | X | 17.19 | 17.31 m | |||
| 10 | 21 | X | 16.92 | 17.02 | 17.02 m | |||
| 11 | 23 | 16.38 | 16.39 | X | 16.39 m | |||
| - | - | X | X | X | NM | |||
| Rank | Overall | Athlete | Attempts | Distance | Note | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 20.69 | - | - | 20.69 m | |||
| 2 | 2 | 20.48 | - | - | 20.48 m | |||
| 3 | 3 | 19.05 | - | - | 19.05 m | |||
| 4 | 4 | X | 18.41 | X | 18.41 m | |||
| 5 | 8 | 17.60 | 18.07 | 18.04 | 18.07 m | |||
| 6 | 9 | 16.37 | 18.07 | X | 18.07 m | |||
| 7 | 10 | X | X | 18.05 | 18.05 m | |||
| 8 | 11 | 17.72 | X | 17.99 | 17.99 m | |||
| 9 | 14 | 17.78 | X | 17.84 | 17.84 m | |||
| 10 | 17 | 17.79 | 17.79 | X | 17.79 m | |||
| 11 | 18 | 17.44 | 17.42 | 17.75 | 17.75 m | |||
| 12 | 22 | 16.62 | X | X | 16.62 m | |||
| 13 | 24 | 15.76 | 15.45 | 15.14 | 15.76 m | |||
| Rank | Athlete | Attempts | Distance | Note | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| 20.59 | 20.71 | 20.52 | 20.24 | X | 20.70 | 20.71 m | ||||
| X | 20.57 | X | 20.51 | 20.36 | 20.66 | 20.66 m | ||||
| 19.22 | 18.84 | X | 18.67 | X | 18.92 | 19.22 m | ||||
| 4 | 18.63 | 18.64 | 18.72 | 19.15 | X | 19.07 | 19.15 m | |||
| 5 | 19.00 | 18.17 | 18.64 | X | 18.53 | X | 19.00 m | |||
| 6 | 17.30 | 18.62 | 18.21 | 18.58 | 18.10 | 18.50 | 18.62 m | |||
| 7 | 18.33 | 18.42 | X | 17.91 | 18.22 | X | 18.42 m | |||
| 8 | X | X | 17.83 | X | 17.55 | X | 17.83 m | |||
| 9 | 17.75 | 17.51 | 17.62 | 17.75 m | ||||||
| 10 | X | 17.08 | 17.38 | 17.38 m | ||||||
| 11 | 16.92 | X | 16.78 | 16.92 m | ||||||
| 12 | X | 16.48 | X | 16.48 m | ||||||