Roald Bradstock calls it a career after beating 8 at Trials
At 46, Roald Bradstock is hanging up his multi-colored javelins and many delightful outfits. After beating eight kids in the javelin prelims at Eugene today (including American record holder Breaux Greer), he confirmed that this was his last track meet. He fell only 5 feet short of making Sunday's finals. Also FYI: A photo gallery with 144 shots (and counting) of the Olympic Trials from a slightly different perspective is online here. I took these in and outside Hayward Field to give you a feel of the Trials experience. Check out the Duck photos -- the University of Oregon mascot running 400 meters at the Wednesday all-comers meet.
(The duck was in the heat for men 50-54). The Duck's time? He clocked 1 minute, 47 seconds -- and was awarded a purple ribbon for taking part.
Here's how I described the action on my Trials blog:
Results from the Trials:Roald Bradstock has told me that this meet will be his last. At age 46, his career includes two Olympic appearances -- he threw for Britain in 1984 and 1988 before becoming an American citizen in 1995. An artist who makes his home near Atlanta, Bradstock qualified 25th out of 26 for the Trials with a throw of 72.02 meters (236-3). He holds the world javelin record for men 45-49. The announcer just introduced Bradstock as the seventh-placer at the Los Angeles Games.Oh, and he's the oldest male athlete at these Trials. (Racewalker Kristen Furseth-Mullaney is 48.)
The automatic qualifier here is 77.00 (252-7). Modest headwind for the spearchuckers. Barry Krammes goes 78.97 (259-1), the first auto qualifier. Bradstock throws 65.64 (215-4) in a designer outfit (black and white broad stripes) and a javelin that's half red-and-white.
On his second throw (in a different outfit, multicolored), he goes 212-0 after the crowd gives him rhythmic clapping routine.
Brian Chaput goes 74.98 (246-0). Bradstock gets set for his third throw -- with a third outfit (red-and-blue pants and red-and-white top.) At 5:59 p.m., introduced as our "fashion plate," he goes 225-5, moving to seventh.
In the press tent afterward, Bradstock holds court for 30 minutes as a dozen reporters, including Jere Longman of the New York Times, pepper him with questions about his thee outfit, his age and his artist/athlete endeavors.
Men Javelin Throw
==========================================================================
Auto Qualifier: 77.00
World: W 98.48m 5/25/1996 Jan Zelezny, CZE
American: A 91.29m 6/21/2007 Breaux Greer, adidas
OT: T 82.39m 7/17/2004 Breaux Greer, adidas
Hayward: S 85.23m 2001 Breaux Greer, USA
Name Year Team Prelims
==========================================================================
Flight 1 Preliminaries
1 Barry Krammes Shore A C 78.97mq 259-01
78.97m x x
2 Brian Chaput Javelin USA 75.98mq 249-03
71.00m 75.98m 74.98m
3 Aris Borjas VS Athletics 73.05mq 239-08
70.83m 73.05m FOUL
4 Jon Jeffreys unattached 70.34mq 230-09
70.34m 65.82m 69.21m
5 Doug Lefler unattached 69.41m 227-09
69.41m FOUL FOUL
6 Mark Bridge unattached 68.81m 225-09
68.81m FOUL FOUL
7 Roald Bradstock unattached 68.71m 225-05
65.64m 64.63m 68.71m
8 Cyrus Hostetler Lane C C 66.84m 219-03
65.43m 66.34m 66.84m
9 Bradley Roth Arizona State 66.11m 216-11
FOUL 66.11m 65.88m
10 Adam Burke unattached 66.00m 216-06
66.00m 65.88m 64.28m
11 Allen Pettner unattached 61.42m 201-06
FOUL FOUL 61.42m
12 Brett Trudo unattached 60.61m 198-10
FOUL 60.46m 60.61m
-- Adam Montague Florida DNS
Flight 2 Preliminaries
1 Christopher Hill unattached 77.72mq 255-00
77.72m x x
2 Mike Hazle Nike 75.57mq 247-11
72.09m 75.57m PASS
3 Leigh Smith unattached 74.23mq 243-06
74.23m 73.23m FOUL
4 John Hetzendorf unattached 74.19mq 243-05
74.19m PASS FOUL
5 Sean Furey unattached 74.17mq 243-04
66.99m 74.17m 72.92m
6 Bobby Smith Monmouth Track Club 73.85mq 242-03
73.85m 68.18m FOUL
7 Corey White unattached 72.16mq 236-09
65.68m 72.16m 68.25m
8 Daniel Brown unattached 70.28mq 230-07
70.28m FOUL FOUL
9 Shae Murray unattached 69.57m 228-03
69.27m 69.57m 69.38m
10 Breaux Greer adidas 67.20m 220-06
FOUL FOUL 67.20m
11 Ryan Weidman Bigfoot Track Club 66.64m 218-08
66.64m 64.85m FOUL
12 Ryan Brandel unattached 65.70m 215-07
61.74m 65.70m 65.38m
==========================================================================
Auto Qualifier: 77.00
World: W 98.48m 5/25/1996 Jan Zelezny, CZE
American: A 91.29m 6/21/2007 Breaux Greer, adidas
OT: T 82.39m 7/17/2004 Breaux Greer, adidas
Hayward: S 85.23m 2001 Breaux Greer, USA
Name Year Team Prelims
==========================================================================
Preliminaries
1 Barry Krammes Shore A C 78.97mq 259-01
78.97m x x
2 Christopher Hill unattached 77.72mq 255-00
77.72m x x
3 Brian Chaput Javelin USA 75.98mq 249-03
71.00m 75.98m 74.98m
4 Mike Hazle Nike 75.57mq 247-11
72.09m 75.57m PASS
5 Leigh Smith unattached 74.23mq 243-06
74.23m 73.23m FOUL
6 John Hetzendorf unattached 74.19mq 243-05
74.19m PASS FOUL
7 Sean Furey unattached 74.17mq 243-04
66.99m 74.17m 72.92m
8 Bobby Smith Monmouth Track Club 73.85mq 242-03
73.85m 68.18m FOUL
9 Aris Borjas VS Athletics 73.05mq 239-08
70.83m 73.05m FOUL
10 Corey White unattached 72.16mq 236-09
65.68m 72.16m 68.25m
11 Jon Jeffreys unattached 70.34mq 230-09
70.34m 65.82m 69.21m
12 Daniel Brown unattached 70.28mq 230-07
70.28m FOUL FOUL
13 Shae Murray unattached 69.57m 228-03
69.27m 69.57m 69.38m
14 Doug Lefler unattached 69.41m 227-09
69.41m FOUL FOUL
15 Mark Bridge unattached 68.81m 225-09
68.81m FOUL FOUL
16 Roald Bradstock unattached 68.71m 225-05
65.64m 64.63m 68.71m
17 Breaux Greer adidas 67.20m 220-06
FOUL FOUL 67.20m
18 Cyrus Hostetler Lane C C 66.84m 219-03
65.43m 66.34m 66.84m
19 Ryan Weidman Bigfoot Track Club 66.64m 218-08
66.64m 64.85m FOUL
20 Bradley Roth Arizona State 66.11m 216-11
FOUL 66.11m 65.88m
21 Adam Burke unattached 66.00m 216-06
66.00m 65.88m 64.28m
22 Ryan Brandel unattached 65.70m 215-07
61.74m 65.70m 65.38m
23 Allen Pettner unattached 61.42m 201-06
FOUL FOUL 61.42m
24 Brett Trudo unattached 60.61m 198-10
FOUL 60.46m 60.61m
-- Adam Montague Florida DNS