{"id":3873,"date":"2023-10-25T17:08:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T22:08:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/?p=3873"},"modified":"2023-10-26T09:21:02","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T14:21:02","slug":"the-monthly-meathead-aussies-at-the-diamond-league-final-european-discus-conference-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/?p=3873","title":{"rendered":"The Monthly Meathead: Aussies at the Diamond League Final, European Discus Conference Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Matthew Quine for Diamond League AG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is it that makes Australians so nice? Do the crocodiles eat all the mean people there? Or does growing up around koala bears naturally make folks more relaxed and outgoing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll never know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing\u2019s for sure, though. I greatly enjoyed speaking with members of the Australian contingent at the 2023 Diamond League Final<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The women\u2019s jav kicked off the comp at 11 a.m. on a lovely Saturday morning in Eugene. At that moment, it was 5 a.m. Sunday<\/em> in Sydney, which is where 2023 World Championships<\/a> bronze medalist Mackenzie Little<\/a> lives and trains. I might have been a tad grouchy were I experiencing the level of jet lag that Mackenzie and her coach, Angus McEntyre<\/a>, must have been feeling at that moment, but they appeared to be having a wonderful time, smiling and laughing whenever she bopped over for a quick chat at the rail between attempts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mackenzie did not have her best stuff on this day. She set a PB of 65.70m at the Lausanne Diamond League Meeting<\/a> earlier this season, and went 63.38m in winning her Budapest bronze, but she reached the 60-meter line only once in Eugene and settled for a best of 61.24m to take third behind Worlds champ Haruka Kitaguchi<\/a> and fellow Australasian Tori Peeters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That did not, however, harsh Mackenzie’s mellow. She was happy and gracious during a post-comp chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had a good time,\u201d she admitted. \u201cNot because I got the throws I wanted necessarily, but this core group of throwers has gotten quite close and I was excited watching them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked why the javelin ladies seem to get on so well, Mackenzie explained, \u201cYou can\u2019t have an ego when you throw jav. I think we all know how frustrating it can be sometimes, so we understand each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most frustrating time for Mackenzie came when she returned to Australia after a stellar career representing Stanford, for whom she was NCAA champion in 2018 and 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transition from collegiate to pro athlete can be tricky, and Mackenzie had trouble finding her footing. Lingering shoulder and elbow problems did not help. She reached out to McEntyre on the recommendation of the head Australian jav coach, but her level of frustration gave him pause. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think we can make this work,\u201d he told her at the time, \u201cBut I can\u2019t do much if you\u2019re stuck in a negative headspace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was,\u201d McEntyre recalls, \u201ca bit lost. I was coaching one of her good friends, a javelin thrower named Chrissie Grun<\/a>, and Mackenzie told Chrissie, \u2018I don\u2019t know if I can do this anymore.\u2019 But Chrissie said, \u2018Yes, you can, and Angus is someone you can work with.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a plus that Coach McEntyre\u2019s \u201cday job\u201d was running a chiropractic clinic, so he was able to help Mackenzie mend as they got to know each other. Looking back, he says \u201cit was the chiropractic that started the relationship. During the Covid period we built up her shoulder and elbow, which also helped us build trust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October of 2020, she reached 60 meters for the first time in two years, hitting a PB 61.47m at a comp in Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She PB\u2019d again during the Olympic qualification round a year later in Tokyo<\/a>, and ended up finishing eighth in the final. McEntyre says they\u2019ve been \u201con cruise control since,\u201d with only the occasional \u201chiccup\u201d along the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the 2022 Worlds<\/a>, Mackenzie squeaked through qualifying in 12th place, then hit a 63.22m PB on her opener in the final. She was unable to build on that though, and finished in fifth, just five excruciating centimeters short of the podium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This summer, she started slowly in the Budapest qualification round before bashing 63.45m on her third attempt, then started slowly again in the final. A best of 61.41m had her in fifth after three rounds, but this time she was able to keep climbing. \u201cI learned a lot over the past year,\u201d she said later. \u201cAnd I was not going to be fifth again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackenzie produced her best throw on her last attempt, a 63.38m toss that won her the bronze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here I will tell you something crazy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackenzie fought her way to the top of her sport while at the same time attending medical school. She is preparing for a career as a surgeon, and took her final exam on the flight from Sydney to Eugene for the DL final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked how she managed this seemingly impossible task, Mackenzie shrugged. \u201cEveryone in athletics has their passions outside. Mine just happens to be a little more structured. But I have a little more help than the average person with my coach taking care of me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having played rugby at a high level while undertaking his chiropractic studies, McEntyre says he was able to relate to the challenges Mackenzie faced trying to balance athletics and academics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe biggest challenge for me,\u2019 he says, \u201cis to make sure she doesn\u2019t get cooked or exhausted. I\u2019ve always been careful around exam weeks, but it helps that the study side is more highly strung for her, so it can be a bit of a break when we switch to jav mode.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McEntyre\u2019s duties have included helping Mackenzie on practice quizzes, sometimes at unlikely moments. During early warmups prior to competing in Budapest, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were having a contest to see who could get the most questions right,\u201d he explained. \u201cI guess most people might think that\u2019s weird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not as weird as being lucid and engaging while jet-lagged, as both \u201cMacs\u201d were on this exquisite afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve come to comps a little jet lagged and a little tired before,\u201d Mackenzie told me. \u201cIt just builds my confidence. There\u2019s no excuse for not throwing well. I am ready, though, for a big sleep.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with that, she left the shade of the media tent and strode off into a sun almost as bright as her future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Photo courtesy of Marta Gorczynska for Diamond League AG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another amicable Aussie competing in Eugene was discus thrower Matt Denny<\/a>, a man who has mastered the art of throwing big when it counts. In 2018, for example, he produced a lifetime best of 64.03m to win the Australian Championships. A year later, he repeated as Australian champ with another PB, this time 65.28m, which he topped at the Doha Worlds <\/a>by launching 65.43m to take sixth. He broke 67 meters for the first time during the Olympic final<\/a> in 2021, and 68 meters for the first time this summer in Budapest<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denny\u2019s coach, Dale Stevenson, says that some people are just \u201cexceptional competitors,\u201d and Matt is one of them. \u201cHis happy place,\u201d according to Stevenson, \u201cis out there competing against the top athletes. It brings the best out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was evident in Eugene, where Denny injected some much-needed brio into an otherwise subdued competition. He did his best to engage the crowd before each attempt, and refused to take it personally when they ignored him prior to his third throw. (The men\u2019s 800 meters was about to begin and this was, after all, Eugene.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 66.36m he produced on that attempt put Denny in third place behind Kristjan \u010ceh<\/a> and Daniel St\u00e5hl,<\/a> the twin Everests of the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lesser individual might have been content with such a throw, coming as it did at the end of a loooong season. For unexplained reasons, winter here is summer in Australia, and Denny\u2019s first comp took place way back on February 11th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Coach Stevenson knows his man, and throwing against giant World Champions (Kristjan, Daniel and Andrius Gud\u017eius<\/a> have won every World title since 2017) did in fact bring out the best of Denny on this gorgeous afternoon in Eugene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He jumped ahead of St\u00e5hl by a centimeter with a 67.37m toss in round four, then blasted a new PB of 68.43m on his final attempt to barge past \u010ceh for the title of 2023 Diamond League Champ<\/a>, a win Denny described afterwards as \u201creally satisfying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou idolize the greats,\u201d he explained. \u201cYou put them on a pedestal. Especially Daniel, who is probably the greatest ever as a competitor. So it was a special moment to get the win and have Daniel be the first guy to give me a hug and congratulate me. It reminded me of how good a community this is, for them to be like, \u2018Lets go get some beers!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As to the varying levels of crowd support, Denny said he learned from Olympic and World champ high jumper Gimbo Tamberi <\/a>that it\u2019s best to get people\u2019s attention by yelling before asking them to clap. He tried this before his sixth attempt and drew a spirited response. The extra bit of energy he absorbed from the crowd was all Denny needed on a day when he felt ready to rumble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had some warmups of around 65 meters,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnd I know I\u2019m in good nick if I\u2019m doing that. When the comp began, I kept falling out of my delivery, but I knew there was something there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step will be getting on the podium at an Olympics or Worlds, no easy task with \u010ceh, St\u00e5hl, and Mykolas Alekna<\/a> throwing at historically high levels. With those three in the mix, it could conceivably take 70 meters to get on the stand in Paris and Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to raise his game, Denny added a wrinkle to his technique this season by setting up for the throw with his right foot offset a bit then stepping forward after his windup. You\u2019ve heard of the \u201cCrouser slide\u201d?  Let\u2019s call this the \u201cDenny step.\u201d If you say it fast like it\u2019s one word it sounds pretty cool. Denny-step. Denny-step. Denny-step. See?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matt and Dale, if you pursue a trademark, I\u2019d like a t-shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dale says the Denny-step evolved to help Matt keep his hips \u201cunderneath his shoulders on entry,\u201d and it might not be the end of their tinkering.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re playing around with other variations, too,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe\u2019ll experiment with some of those during the Aussie domestic season from January to April.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dale did not divulge the exact nature of what they’ll be trying, but according to internet sources, he and Denny are considering everything from learning to cuss in Lithuanian to a never-before-seen discus move known as the “Kick-the-Crotch-of-Kristjan.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Are you free on 10-12th November? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If so, join me in beautiful Tallinn, Estonia, for the 2023 European Discus Conference<\/a> which features excellent beer and major insights into the technique and training of guys like Daniel St\u00e5hl, Sam Mattis, Kristjan \u010ceh, and Mykolas Alekna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coaches you see in the above photo will share their knowledge through a series of lectures and live demonstrations and, even better, you can ask follow-ups or just shoot the breeze with them and other coaches from all over the world while dining or maybe doing the backstroke at the amazing Tallink Spa and Conference Hotel<\/a> where the conference is held. Here’s a bird’s-eye view:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And see this person popping out of the water?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On November 10-12th that might be Gerd Kanter or Kristjan \u010ceh or Dane Miller. I’ll end here so you can start checking flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is it that makes Australians so nice? Do the crocodiles eat all the mean people there? Or does growing up around koala bears naturally make folks more relaxed and outgoing? We\u2019ll never know. One thing\u2019s for sure, though. I greatly enjoyed speaking with members of the Australian contingent at the 2023 Diamond League Final. … Continue reading The Monthly Meathead: Aussies at the Diamond League Final, European Discus Conference Preview<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,12,17,4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diamond-league","category-discus","category-javelin","category-meets","category-musings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8knIb-10t","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3873\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcthrows.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}