Expect Big Throws this Weekend at the Adidas Grand Prix

While the kids are battling it out this weekend in Eugene, some of the best professional throwers in the world will be competing at the Adidas Grand Prix Diamond League Meet in New York.

Here is a preview of what promises to be a fantastic day of competition.

Men’s Javelin

It has been a long time since the United States developed a javelin thrower with the pop to medal at a Worlds or Olympic games, and the Adidas Grand Prix will feature three young Americans who hope to make that leap.

Riley Dolezal…

Riley

 

Sean Furey…

furey

 

and Tim Glover…

glover

 

…whose season best of 84.09m is the farthest throw by an American this year.

 

The goal for the Americans will be to show that they belong in a competition that also features 2013 World Champion Vitezslav Vesely of the Czech Republic…

vv

 

 

,,,,two-time World Championship medalist Guillermo Martinez of Cuba…

martinez

 

 

 

…and one of the finest young throwers in the world, Thomas Rohler of Germany…

rohler

…who threw a PB of 87.63m at the Zurich Diamond League meet last August.

 

Women’s Disc

Watching Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic throw the discus is alone worth the price of admission. Nobody competes with more passion than the Croatian Sensation, who is always a threat to break the 70-meter mark.

sandra

 

That is especially true when Sandra is going against stiff competition.

Included  in the field in New York will be the only woman to have defeated Perkovic over the past two years: Gia Lewis-Smallwood, a veteran American thrower who posted a huge 69.17m personal best last August.

gia 2

 

 

Looking to gain ground in her attempt to secure a third Olympic berth in 2016, the 2008 Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton will also be competing in New York.

sbt

 

 

 

A young thrower just beginning to make some noise on the world scene is Cuba’s Yaimi Perez,…

perez

 

…who has posted a PB of 66.23m already this season, and whose presence could provide Perkovic with the spark she needs to blast some big throws.

 

Men’s Shot

An astonishingly successful group of Americans will provide the fireworks in this event.

Joe Kovacs has the farthest throw in the world this year (22.35m)…

joe

 

 

 

…while Christian Cantwell…

cc

 

 

…Ryan Whiting…

whiting

 

 

…and Reese Hoffa…

reese

…are all former World Champions.

 

 

Toss in the young American Jordan Clarke (who finished second at the Rome DL meet)…

clarke

 

 

 

…the fine New Zealander Tom Walsh (PB 21.37m)…

walsh

 

 

…and O’Dayne Richards of Jamaica (PB 21.61m)…

odayne

 

…and you have the makings of a sensational competition.

 

Throws fans, don’t miss this chance to see some of the best in the world! Sunday. Randall’s Island. The jav begins at 9:40am, the disc follows at 10:55am, and the shot caps off the throwing events at 1:45.

Oh, and I hear some fellow named Bolt will be running the 200.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.