ADNAN ABIDI
Canadians are making their point in throwing circles.
In the sport once dominated by oversized dopers, Canadians have moved up thanks to solid coaching and a worldwide drug-test regimen. That was on display Thursday when three Canadian throwers took gold medals with record tosses to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.
Kamloops, B.C.'s Dylan Armstrong earned his first major games win in the shot put, his final throw of 21.02 metres, a Commonwealth Games record, but short of this Canadian record of 21.58 set this spring.. In the women's hammer throw Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., established a Games record of 68.57 metres. Early in the day, Brampton, Ontario's Kyle Pettey in the F34 classification shot put for athletes with a disability had a world record performance of 11.44 metres. Pettey is the first para-athletics Canadian thrower to ever win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Also joining Frizell in the women's hammer throw final were Kamloops' Megann Rodhe and Crystal Smith. Rodhe finished in 7th place with a best throw of 62.36 metres while Smith landed in 11th throwing 59.65m. All of the women, along with Armstrong, train in the pace-setting Canadian throws program in Kamloops under coach Anatoliy Bondarchuk, the one-time Soviet Olympic and European champion.
"Pretty good day for a little club in Kamloops," Armstrong said in a Canadian Press interview. "Over 21 metres, I'm pretty happy with that, especially this late in the season," said Armstrong, whose plans to come to Delhi included a quick arrival and getaway to have as little exposure as possible to local microbes which have taken their toll on Commonwealth athletes. The common name for the traveler's diarrhea is Delhi Belly.
"It's been a long season. It's been long, but that medal was long overdue."
Frizell's victory was her first in a major Games.
"I missed out on Melbourne [in 2006]because I had obligations in the NCAA and sat at home going. I wanted to be there so badly," Frizell said. "I finally made it to this one and I was able to go out and do a Games record.
"This is what I was preparing for all season. This is the last meet, I've got to go out and do my job and, hopefully, I did it."
Pettey, bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, threw 11.44 metres to better his previous record of 11.24. "I feel awesome," Pettey said. "My first three throws were not what I would have hoped for but I reloaded and [coach]Dave Greig pushed me really hard.
"It's my first major win. I have come second and third at other events and now it's all come together in a major Games."
In the men's 100-metre final Sam Effah, 21, of Calgary, ran 10.37 and placed 7th after a stirring 10.15 in the semi-final. The final was won by Jamaica's Leron Clarke in 10.12, not especially fast in the days when sub-10's are common. Second was English veteran Mark Lewis-Francis at 10.20. The women's 100 metres went to 36-year-old Sally Pearson in a sluggish 11.28 seconds.
After the first day of the decathlon Windsor's Jamie Adjetey-Nelson is leading the event with 4,238 points. He won his 100 metre heat in a time of 10.87 seconds; placed second in the long jump with 7.37 metres; won the shot put in a personal best mark of 15 metres; placed 5th in the high jump with 2.02 metres and finished off the day in third in his 400 metre heat in 49.61 seconds.
In the women's T37 classification 100 metre final Leah Robinson of Petersburg, Ont., finished 5th running a personal best of 15.27 seconds while Megan Muscat of St. Thomas, Ont., finished in 15.73, a seasonal best performance.
Edmonton's Carline Muir advanced to the women's 400-metre final running 52.55 seconds.
Also in action were Nicole Edwards of Winnipeg and Hilary Stellingwerff of Sarnia, Ont., who both advanced to the finals in the 1,500 metres. Hilary placed 8th with a time of 4:13.01, Edwards placed third in the second heat in 4:13.90.
Mike Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., qualified for the final in the high jump later this week by clearing 2.16 metres.