Ah, you got to love track and field– there is always something going on! First we had the drama involving Justin Gatlin, and then it was only last October where Marion Jones finally admitted that she was using performance enhancing drugs during the Olympics. But wait– hold the press!– What about “Shotgate?” That is right– there is stuff going on among the male shotputters after the US Indoor Championships this weekend.
US Shotputters Christian Cantwell (left) and Reese Hoffa (right)
From reading this article, it seems that Christian Cantwell asked Reese Hoffa to bring a shot with him to the meet, and Hoffa of course didn’t– so Cantwell is not too happy about it. Hoffa said that it was because Cantwell is his competitor. Adam Nelson, the other shotputter named in the article, said that at this level of competition– that you are expected to bring your own implements.
What do I think about this situation– I am not surprised. Trust me, when you are competing– you really have to rely on yourself and those that you trust. It is always good to be nice and polite to your competitors, but don’t expect that they will do anything to help you if they can help it.
In the ten years that I spent in track and field, there were many things that I saw that I was just completely amazed about– some people will go to great lengths to make sure that their competitors don’t succeed. Whether it is stealing implements, warm ups, or even trying to psych you out– the key is that you have to focus and realize that you have a job to do– and that is to perform. The successful athletes use these kinds of experiences to motivate themselves to excel and do their best.
I think that Cantwell needs to realize this, and at least he now knows who his friends are, and who are not. In terms of PR– well, there are positives and negatives in this situation. It goes to show you that these guys are not close by any means of the imagination, but what was the purpose to bring this to the media- to get attention to the event? Well, I don’t know how this is going to play with the fans and sponsors of track and field, so we will have to see what happens. But the key is– Cantwell did win despite what happened, that is what counts.
Hope you all have a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen 🙂
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