Godina Misses Out, but U.S. Has a Good Shot at a Sweep

Two-time world champion John Godina was trying to come to grips with the notion that he will be spending this year’s Olympic shotput competition on the outside looking in, trying to put a positive spin on his disappointing fourth-place finish in Saturday’s final round of the U.S. Olympic trials.

“The good news,” Godina said, “is that the three best shotputters in the world are going to Sydney. We could sweep that thing. I hope they do. That’d be great.”

The bad news, of course: Godina won’t be part of the threesome. Godina fell from third to fourth in the final standings when Andy Bloom launched his sixth and final throw 70 feet, 10 3/4 inches and Godina, owning a best mark of 69-2 1/2, fouled on his last attempt.

That sent Bloom hopping in jubilation across the infield, eventually body-slamming into the arms of friend and winner Adam Nelson, a collision believed to have registered on the Richter scale.

All three shotput qualifiers cleared 70 feet. Nelson set an Olympic trials with a mark of 72-7 inches on his first throw, good enough to unseat reigning world champion C.J. Hunter, Marion Jones’ husband, who placed second with a throw of 71-8.

“You just saw the best shotput competition in how many years, I can’t even say,” Bloom said. “[The 1997 nationals] were good--you had three guys over 70 feet--but nothing like this.”

Bloom wasn’t surprised, saying “We knew this was going to happen for a year.” He laughed. “The winner was kind of a surprise. But if you weren’t aware of the quality of this group, you haven’t been paying attention to track and field. We have four guys over 70 feet this year, including Kevin Toth, and Godina is going to get there before the year is out.”

Nelson couldn’t argue with Bloom. He too was surprised to have won.

“I’m elated right now,” Nelson said. “I still can’t believe what just happened.”

*

The U.S. women’s hammer team was also decided. Dawn Ellerbe won the event with a mark of 227 feet, and will be joined on the team by Amy Palmer (217 feet, 7 inches) and Jesseca Cross (217-2).

“Today is so exciting,” Ellerbe said, “because everything we’ve been doing is geared toward this day and it’s finally here.”

Acknowledging that the hammer throw “isn’t a glamour event,” Ellerbe said she and her U.S. rivals labor away in obscurity because “it’s something we truly love. As you learn the event, you still have your down days or those ‘dizzy’ days when you’re turning, turning, turning.

“But if it’s something you love, it makes the process easy.”

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The Facts

* WHAT: U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials, Day 3 of 8.

* WHERE: Sacramento.

* TV: 1 p.m., Channel 4

TODAY’S EVENTS

* 8 a.m.--Women’s 20K walk final

* 9:30 a.m.--Women’s javelin qualifying

* 11 a.m.--Men’s pole vault final

* 12:15 p.m.--Women’s high jump final

* 12:30 p.m.--Women’s discus qualifying

* 1 p.m.--Women’s long jump final

* 1:40 p.m.--Women’s 400 hurdles semis

* 2:05 p.m.--Women’s 1,500 final

* 2:20 p.m.--Men’s 1,500 final

* 2:35 p.m.--Women’s 400 final

* 2:48 p.m.--Men’s 400 final