Adam Nelson '97 won the shot-put event at the World Junior Track and Field Championships in Lisbon, Portugal on Sunday with a mighty toss of 60 feet, 2 inches.
Nelson, who is 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, is no stranger to the winner's circle. He won the shot put at the indoor and outdoor Heptagonal championships and at the IC4A outdoor championship. He holds the Dartmouth record in the shot put at 58-1.
Track Coach Carl Wallin said he was not all that surprised by Nelson's victory. He said Nelson beat the best junior shot-putters from all the countries that compete in the Olympics.
Wallin said he would not rule out an appearance by Nelson in the Olympics in either 1996 or 2000.
"When you can be number one in the world, that's a good start," Wallin said. "You just have to go day-by-day and year-by-year. He certainly has a lot of potential."
"As a coach you have to be optimistic, but you also have to be realistic," he continued. He said there always is the possibility of injury or sickness.
Nelson, who according to Wallin uses a "spin" technique to hurl the shot put, almost did not qualify for the World Championship.
He first had to win the Junior Nationals to make it to the world championship. According to Wallin, the final day of the competition was in a "driving rainstorm."
"He's a spinner," Wallin said. "A person who throws with a spin in inclement weather is a real risk."
And Nelson did step up, winning the event on his last throw. But the pressure of the junior nationals was nothing compared to the world championships in Portugal.
Wallin said there is no sport that has more pressure than shot putting.
"You're in there by yourself," Wallin said. "You have three throws in the qualifying round where you have to throw a certain distance."
"It sounds easy enough until you have to get in there and do it," he added.
Also, Wallin said an athlete sits for about 30 to 45 minutes before making their throws. They also only have two warm-up tosses before competition begins, he added.
But Nelson's troubles went beyond being cold and limited warm-up throws. The Dartmouth shot put that Wallin had loaned him for the trip had a nick in it and you have to have a perfectly round shot put for international competition, Wallin said.
So, with a fresh shot put and two warm-up throws, Nelson had three chances to qualify for the round of 12. On his first throw, the new shot put slipped off Nelson's hand and hurt his fingers, Wallin said.
Then on the second throw he fouled, leaving him once chance to either qualify for the next round or pack his bags and go home.
Nelson again rose to the occasion, launching the shot put 57-7 to put him in the final round.
And Nelson's fourth throw of the day proved to be the big one. He launched his 16-pound shot put more than 60 feet, besting his closest competitor by more than a foot.
Andre Gustafsson of Sweden finished second and Ville Tisanoja of Finland finished third. Wallin said Gustafsson is 6-foot-5 and Tisanoja is 6-foot-6.
"The way he throws with a spin ... is different than anyone else in the world," Wallin said. "It's very unique and it's very effective. He's very good when he gets one."
Wallin said Nelson has continuously improved throughout the year and has yet to scratch the surface of his potential.
"Throwing takes a long time to be very good," he said. "He just turned 19. To be throwing that far at that age is fantastic."
But Wallin said Nelson still has a lot of room for improvement.
"He still has lots of things he can improve in terms of his athletic ability," he said.
Wallin said he thinks Nelson has the right attitude to make that kind of improvement.
"He has excellent attitude. He's a joy to work with," he said. "He's a very good person. He's the type of person you want to coach."
Nelson returned to the United States yesterday and could not be reached for comment.
