Feb. 9, 2004
Published Friday, February 6, 2004
Christian Cantwell is full of confidence.
Cantwell, ranked fourth in the world in the shot put, will be competing in the 97th Annual Verizon Millrose Games tonight at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Millrose Games is the longest-running indoor track and field event in the world, and it's a hot ticket with prices on the Internet going for $100-$680.
This year is special, though. The shot put will be held for the first time since the 1980s.
"It's an Olympic year, and the shot put is a big gold hopeful for the United States," Cantwell said. "There's going to be a lot of hype around it. They're building it up, and it will be a good place to really drop a nice throw."
Cantwell has competed in some major events over the past year but none quite like this.
"I've been in some really exciting meets, but I'm assuming that this is going to be by far the most exciting and cool meet to be in," he said.
Cantwell has the world's longest indoor throw this year after throwing 69 feet at last week's Tiger Classic at the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.
Cantwell joined the professional ranks last summer and gained enough points to move up from 11th to fourth in the world.
"You keep those points and then you have a chance to improve, so in my eyes, I'm not that far from being No. 1," Cantwell said. "All I have to do is do good at U.S.A.s and do good at World Indoors, next thing I know, I'll be where I've always wanted to be, and that's No. 1 in the world."
Cantwell, who is finishing his last two semesters at MU and will graduate with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management in December, felt strongly enough about the Tigers program that he decided to stay in Columbia to train.
"This is home to me," he said. "I plan on staying here through the rest of my career.
"My program's the exact same it's always been. ... We've got a formula that works, so we're just going to stick with it."
Nike is sponsoring Cantwell on his quest for a World Title and Olympic gold.
Cantwell has his sights set on finishing in the top two at the U.S. Indoor Championships at the end of February, which would qualify him for the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
"I've never been to an Olympics or a World Championship, and that's something I want to accomplish," Cantwell said. "I want to go to the World Championships, and I want to finish high. I don't want to just go and be a spectator."
Cantwell's 69-foot throw would have finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships last year, but he had another throw at the MU Invitational - which was ruled a scratch to Cantwell's disbelief - that would have won.
"To me, I'm going to be the favorite," he said. "I'm confident, but I'm not going to say, 'If I don't win, it's not a success.'
"I just want to get there and compete. When you compete hard, sometimes you lose. But I plan on winning."
Cantwell wants to be on the U.S. Olympic team. To do that he has to finish in the top three at the Olympic trials in June.
Because of the investigation into the use of the designer steroid THG, some of Cantwell's possible competition and future teammates are questionable.
Urine samples were retested after the U.S. Track and Field Championships last June, and shot putter Kevin Toth was one of the athletes who tested positive.
"Obviously, Kevin is innocent until proven guilty," Cantwell said. "He's a good friend of mine. But if he's found guilty, he'll drop out of the rankings, and then whoever is behind him will move up. That will put me into third, because he's one of the people ahead of me.
"I've talked to him. He's said he's going to be acquitted. Until it comes out that he's not, I'm going to believe him.
Cantwell said the use of steroids has been exaggerated.
"Everybody wants to believe that they're training the hardest and that's why the other people are beating them," he said. "But I don't buy that for one minute."
Cantwell plans to remain on the professional track and field circuit for the next couple years, but after that he has his eye on the World's Strongest Man competition and maybe even professional football.
"I have no problem stepping away and leaving. I've accomplished a lot in this sport. I haven't accomplished what I want to, yet, but I've accomplished a lot already, and this is just all cake for me," Cantwell said.
Bill Kazmaier, the last American to win the World's Strongest Man, has offered to help Cantwell if he wants to pursue his dream.
"With the right practice and training, I think I can definitely compete with those guys, he said. "It's something I would like to try.
"I wouldn't try something if I didn't think I would be good at it. By good, I mean the best at it. If I really invest myself, I don't see why in a couple years I wouldn't be the world's strongest man."
The future seems limitless for Cantwell, who, if he accomplishes what he is certain he can, could end up the most decorated athlete in Missouri history.