“The
World’s best throwers will be in Helsinki”, says Adam Nelson
12 August 2002
"Greetings to you all. Track and field at world class level requires a great deal of patience and focus. Unlike other popular sports like American football, soccer, basketball, and baseball, our competitive season is not set in stone. Competitions are spaced throughout the course of the year, culminating with the Grand Prix Final and whatever major Championship is scheduled for the end of the year. This year, the Grand Prix Final in Paris is followed by the World Cup in Madrid a week later. As a thrower, these are the two biggest meetings of the year.
"Today, I find myself in Helsinki for one of the three remaining Grand Prix meetings that will hold a Shot Put competition. The importance of my next two competitions cannot be overlooked, as they should solidify my place in the Final. It’s something I'd prefer not to have to worry about so late in the year. But, due to a recurring bout of tendonitis that forced me to pull out of the Stanford Grand Prix meeting earlier this year, competing is a necessity. Incidentally, the tendonitis forced me to pull out of two competitions during the latter half of July as well. It would be very easy to get frustrated, but it's more important to keep an eye on the big picture.
"That said, I find myself in good spirits and good health at present. In retrospect, the month of July was very good. I managed a somewhat consistent training schedule, though I was a little hindered by my ankle.
"The Helsinki competition will host a very impressive group of shot putters. I may be wrong here, but I believe everyone listed in the competition has bests of OVER 21 METRES!!! That’s just amazing! I'm looking forward to my first competition in Finland. Word has it that the crowd here loves the throws. I'm sure they will live up to their reputation.
Cheers,
Adam
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