Cantwell set for shot put on Saturday
6/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
June 3, 2004
Christian Cantwell is a big man at 6-feet-6 and almost 300 pounds, which makes him a big name in his hometown of Eldon, Mo.
His presence could get even larger if Cantwell makes the U.S. Olympic track and field team as expected and uses that girth to put the shot at the Athens Games.
"I was there for Mother's Day," Cantwell said of his hometown, population about 4,000. "My mom says she can hardly go out to the store without people wanting to talk for 20 minutes. She said they're going to have Christian Cantwell Appreciation Day coming up pretty soon. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that, but it's an honor just to hear somebody say that."
Cantwell, the world indoor champion, is expected to compete at the Adidas Oregon Track Classic Saturday at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. The meet opens with the shot put at 1 p.m.
A 2003 graduate of Missouri, where he was NCAA runner-up, Cantwell has quickly become the top thrower in the country. He is expected to be pushed by three-time world champion John Godina and 2000 Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson.
The Oregon Track Classic has made the shot put a centerpiece, the ring surrounded by a slope where fans can sit. "It's like being around a green at a golf tournament," meet director Paul Banta said. "The throwers really like it."
Cantwell will face his biggest test next month at the U.S. Olympic trials in Sacramento.
"Four or five of the top 10 throwers in the world are in America," Cantwell said in a USA Track & Field teleconference. "Some people who could medal (at the Olympics) will be left home. I'm treating it as the Olympic Games. I'm going in there to put out my best throw of the year."
Cantwell won the Home Depot Invitational this spring and had been scheduled to compete at the Payton Jordan U.S. Open on Monday in Stanford, Calif. He withdrew, citing injury, but Banta said Cantwell's agent assured him the thrower would compete Saturday.
