Gene Cherry (Reuters)
13 April 2000 – Chapel Hill, USA - The heave produced the longest shot put of the outdoor season, but C.J. Hunter was not impressed. Tosses of 20.66m, even in a March collegiate meeting, are not inspiring when you are the world's top-ranked shot putter.
Hunter has more impressive achievements in mind – just like his wife, the five Olympic gold-medal seeking American sprint star Marion Jones.
"Twenty-two metres is not an issue, I want to go to much farther," Hunter said after a recent training session at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The sweet moments of 1999 - when Hunter claimed the World championship title on his last throw, a lifetime best of 21.79m - are but a memory now. This is a new season, the golden season, when all eyes will be focused on what one does in Sydney's Olympic Games.
"If I don't win the Olympics, it won't make any difference whether I won the World Championships," the frank Hunter said. "I don't get any extra feet added to my throws for being (the World Champion)."
Admittedly his own toughest critic, Hunter has foregone an indoor season and all of the young outdoor season except the collegiate meeting to train for what could be his final Games.
His first real competition since the World Championships will come Sunday in the Mt. SAC Relays at Walnut, California, and it could be an eye-opener, said Brian Blutreich, the former U.S. Olympic discus thrower who has coached Hunter for the past three years.
"If he throws 22m, don't be surprised," Blutreich said. "Our plans are to throw between 22.25 and 22.56 metres this year."
While that may appear to be a hefty challenge, Blutreich can see it coming in practice, where the 31-year-old Hunter can deliver throws of more than 70 feet (21.34 meters) almost on command, the coach said.
"To this day I am still kind of baffled by these amazing things he can do with his body for how big he is," Blutreich said of the 1.85m, 136 kg Hunter.
"That's what makes him special, his ability to move with that mass, that strength."
The two have been attempting to transform that movement into longer throws by having Hunter push more out of the back of the shot put ring with his left leg.
"That's going to take the shot out farther," Blutreich said. "C.J. knew he had to change if he wanted to get better."
The changes enabled Hunter to reach 21.34m in Europe for the first time last season and to score a confidence-building victory over fellow American John Godina.
"He knew then he could win the Worlds," Blutreich said.
Now the process must be repeated in the Games.
Godina, a two-time world champion with a lifetime best of 22.02m, likely will be the favourite.
But what a dream story Hunter and Jones would inspire if they both struck gold in Sydney - just as they did in Seville, where Jones won the 100m.
Hunter will have the first opportunity with the men's shot put final scheduled for the opening night of athletics competition a day ahead of the women's 100m final.
His first choice for victory, though, would be his wife, who has never competed in an Olympics, yet is going for an unprecedented five athletics gold medals.
"I would rather see her win everything she wants to win and never throw again, than I win and she doesn't," Hunter said.
"Why? Because she's my wife. That's the only reason I'm still doing this sport, so I can go to meets and watch her."
