Posted: February 5,2005

Athletics: Shot Putters Bask In Millrose Spotlight

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

(c) 2004 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

Basking in the spotlight before a crowd of more than 13,000, Resse Hoffa emerged victorious from a battle pitting the world's top-four shot putters at the 98th Millrose Games in New York City Friday night.

With the competition on the track halted, the four-man shot field took center stage in a high-speed competition that lasted just 16 minutes. Hoffa, a 2004 Olympian, won with a final round heave of 21.62m (70-11.25), a massive indoor improvement for the reigning World Indoor Championships silver medallist.

"Needless to say, the atmosphere out that was electric. They did a great job," said Hoffa, whose previous indoor best was 21.07m (69-1.5) set at the World Indoor Championships in Budapest last March. "From the moment I stepped out there on the track, I knew I had the possibility of going over 70 (feet), but I kept going too far too the left. It’s one of my problems. So I thought, make an adjustment and do everything as my last throw. I put it together – I was amazed. I’ve had some troubles putting it together. Plus, it’s my PR, so that was great."

Hoffa's winning effort was just shy of his 21.67m (71-1.25) outdoor best set at the Home Depot Invitational last May.

Three-time World Outdoor champion John Godina opened the competition with a 21.17m (69-05.5) throw, an effort that held up for runner-up honors.

"I don’t know if we made the atmosphere, the crowd made the atmosphere, or the announcer made the atmosphere, but it was great," said Godina, adding that he enjoyed the competition's unique set-up despite fouling on his remaining three throws. "It was a party for four throws. I’m beat. I’m way more tired now than after the usual 6-throw meet."

Adam Nelson, the world leader this season after his 21.66m (71-0.75) last weekend at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, finished third here with a best effort of 21.00m (68-10.75) after a taxing week.

"I had a tough week of training," the two-time Olympic silver medallist said. "I did my taxes this week. I hate that time of year, but I had to take care of it. My emphasis wasn’t necessarily on my training this week, but I felt good out there today. It shows you that when you’ve got the four best guys in the world out there, people can really appreciate the event."

Reigning World Indoor Champion Christian Cantwell, followed up his runner-up performance in Boston with a disappointing last place finish here, managing just 20.37m (66-10). "To tell you the truth, I’m getting tired of these guys laying whippings on me," Cantwell said. Last year, the 24-year-old Missouri alum's lone loss of the season came at the worst time, at July's U.S. Olympic Trials where he finished fourth. "But I guess it’s good for the sport to have different guys winning."

On the track, the meet's highlight was Bernard Lagat's 3:52.87 victory in the 11-lap Wanamaker Mile, eclipsing a pair of long-standing records. The previous Millrose record was 3:53.00, set in 1981 by Irishman Eamonn Coughlin; the previous Madison Square Garden record was Noureddine Morceli's 3:52.99 from 1992.

"I wanted to run [the record] because 3:52 is not easy," Lagat said. "Breaking the record feels good and tells me that my training is good.

It was also a Kenyan national indoor record for Lagat, the Olympic silver medallist in the 1500 meters, and the fastest indoor mile in the world since Rui Silva of Portugal clocked 3:52.18 in Stockholm in 2001.

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