Issue Three - Olympic Preview

The hammer throw will commence on Friday the 20th with the men's qualifying round. The men's final round will follow at 21:15 on Sunday the 22nd. The women will enter the ring for the qualifying round on the following day, Monday teh 23rd. The finals will be on Wednesday at 22:10.

Men's Preview

The Athens Olympic Stadium.

» Men's Start Lists

Ivan Tikhon has been the clear favorite for gold this summer since opening his season with a new personal best of 84.46m in May, TIkhon has proved very consistent this summer. Three of his four meets have been over 83 meters, and his worst compeition was still 82.87m. Excluding qualifying rounds and training meets, he has thrown over 82.50m in seven of his last ten meets dating back to last summer. Despite all this though, all of Tikhon's meets have been on home soil this summer and has yet to enter a very competitive meet. So far this season he has only have one of the top fifteen throwers in the world this season.

One need not go far to take a look at other contenders for medals in Athens. Two fellow Belarussians also have great season bests. At last month's national championships Vadim Devyatovskiy threw 82.91m while 41 year-old Igor Astpakovichthrew 82.23m. Don't count him out just because he is older. He has more experience than the rest of the competitors. He took a bronze medal in Sydney and was the top qualifier it last year's world championships, at which all three Belarussians made the finals.

Adrian Annus (HUN) and Koji Murofushi (JPN) also have a strong chance at medaling. Annus has thrown over 80 meters at all seven of his meets this season and broken 82m twice. He won his national championship with a season best throw of 83.65m. He has faced the most competition of top throwers this season and has only lost once, to Asian Champion Murofushi. Murofushi is undefeated in five meets this season and has proved to be even more consistent that Annus. His five meets range in result from 81.92 to 82.88 meters.Olli-Pekka Karjalainen (FIN) is also near the top on the season list with a best of 83.30m. However, he lacks the consistency (he has had several meets under 80m) and experience (he is only 24 years-old) of his competitors.

The crowd favorite at the meet will be Alexandros Papadimitriou (GRE). Papadimitriou holds the Greek national record back in 2000, and came close to breaking the record a few weeks ago with a toss of 80.35m. When commenting on that throw, Papadimitriou said, "These Games have been my main objective from the beginning of the season and I feel ready for them. I have one more meeting in Hungary this week and then the Olympic Games. I think that my next throws will be even better than today's mark." Many Americans may be familiar with Papadimitriou. He attended the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP) in the late 1990s.

Lastly, two Americans will be entered in the competition. James Parker and A.G. Kruger both reached the A standard this season, that has been the first time two Americans will represent the USA in international competition since the 2000 Olympics. No Americans were able to qualify for last summer's world championship. Both are long shots to make the final. Kruger has the 18th best mark in the world with a throw of 79.26m to reach the 'A' standard in the final days of the qualifying window. Parker has been more consistent this season and has a personal best of 79.20. That throw of the 19th best in the world.

Women's Preview
» Women's Start Lists (Available on the 23rd)

Taking a glance at the yearly list would not fully demonstrate Yipsi Moreno's (CUB) dominance this season. She only leads Olga Tsander (BLR) by half a meter. Despite that, the two-time world champion has not lost since last June. He has won eighteen consecutive meets, and has yet to lose in thirteen competitions this season while posting nine of the top thirteen marks in the world. During that win streak Moreno has faced all of the world's top throwers. Moreno started the season with a series of meets in Cuba where she set an area record of 75.18m. At recent meets in Europe she has been able to consistantly throw between 72 and 75 meters.

Behind Moreno is a slew of throwers. Nine more throwers have thrown 72 meters this season, while nineteen have thrown 70 meters. The best of the rest seem to be Irina Sekachova (UKR), Olga Kuzenkova (RUS), Erin Gilreath (USA), and Olga Tsander (BLR). Sekachova set a national record in June with a throw of 74.16m and has been very consistent by throwing over 70 meters in her last eight meets while beating some top throwers. Kuzenkova has always been atop the world scene. At thirty-three years old, Kuzenkova took the silver medal at the 2000 Olympics, and has won silver at all three world championships for the women's hammer throw. This season seemed to be looking sub-par until recently. Up until the end of July, her season best of was 71.91m, almost four meters off of her personal best from 2000. However, at her national championships she was able to hit 74.54m to move up to third on the season's list. More improtantly that throw allowed her to be considered as a sersious contender again.

Gilreath, the American record holder, is one of three Americans making the trip. She looks to have the only shot of earning a medal. At demostic meets she has been consistent over 70 meters in her breakthrough season. Gilreath has also competed in a few European meets and has still been able to compete well by throwing around 69 meters. As in previous championships, it is likely that a throw of 70 meters could challenge for a medal, while 72 meters should secure a medal.

Last, but not least, Olga Tsander ranks second on the season's list with a national record of 74.72m. She has been the least consistent of all the throwers. Until June her season best was only 67.83m. Then, at her national championships, she threw her new best of 74.72m. She has yet to compete since then. It will be interesting to see if she can replicate that great throw.

Related Information
Top Lists/Rankings
» IAAF 2004 Top Lists (Men | Women)
» IAAF Hammer Rankings (Men | Women)

Recent Results
» Szombathely (HUN) 8 August 2004
» Nikiti Meet (GRE) 1 August 2004
» NC Tula (RUS) 26 July 2004
» Norwich Union International (GBR) 25 July 2004
» Gaz de France (FRA) 23 July 2004
» Thessaloniki 2004 GP (GRE) 19 July 2004

Upcoming Meets
» Olympic Games (GRE) 18-29 August 2004
» World Athletics Final (HUN) 5 September 2004

News articles
» IAAF Men's Hammer Throw Olympic Preview IAAF 17 August 2004
» IAAF Women's Hammer Throw Olympic Preview IAAF 17 August 2004
» Yuka Murofushi joins her brother Koji in the Japanese Olympic team IAAF 9 August 2004
» Anna Mahon: Finding just the right balance Stamford Advocate 8 August 2004
» Murofushi sets women's hammer throw record Japan Today 1 August 2004
» Air Force lieutenant ready to hammer USA Today 30 July 2004