March 13, 2010
DOHA, Qatar - Former Tiger Christian Cantwell made history on Saturday as he became the first-event three-time International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Indoor World Shot Put Champion as he claimed the event title with a throw of 21.83m (71-7 ½) in his final attempt of the competition. Cantwell was pitted in a highly competitive bout with Belarussian Andrei Mikhnevich, but the former Tiger ultimately prevailed with the second-best throw in the world this season.
The 2010 Indoor title is the third of Cantwell's career as he also claimed the 2004 and 2008 World Championship. The three Indoor World Championships also sit alongside his 2009 Outdoor World Championship in the event, claimed last August. The 2010 competition marked the first time during the indoor championships that five men broke the 21.00m mark in the event.
Cantwell opened the competition with a toss of 21.60m (70-10 ½), a mark that stood until the fifth round when Mikhnevich turned in a throw of 21.68m (71-1 ½), to place him first overall heading into the final round of throws. But Cantwell, who remains one of the world's top competitors, countered just the way that anyone would expect him to in the final round. He improved his mark with a throw of 21.83m (71-7 ½) to regain the lead and put the pressure back on Mikhnevich, who could not counter the throw from Cantwell.
Mihknevich ended up taking second in the event after measuring in at 21.45m (70-4 ½) in the sixth and final round while Germany's Ralf Bartels took third place overall at 21.44m (70-4 ¼) to round out the medalists on the day. Bartels was considered Cantwell's top competition heading into the meet.
In all, the three IAAF Indoor World Shot Put Championships for Cantwell are a world record as no other thrower has earned three world titles. After Saturday, Cantwell has cemented his status among the world's greatest shot putters of all time, quite an accomplishment for the Eldon, Mo., native.
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