Shotputting to the Olympics 08. April 08

Most of the time when people hear something is average, they don't think it is anything special.

Christian Cantwell is not someone you would describe as average.The 6'6 three hundred and thirty pound Eldon native and former MU shot putter recently won the World Indoor Shot Put Championship in Valencia, Spain."I'd say it was about average," Cantwell said.In Cantwell's opinion being the best in the world is just an average day, "I think four of my throws would have won. So it was just another day."It may be a little difficult to understand how hard it is to throw a shot put like Cantwell, however Coach Halter says it's the equivalent of taking a 16 pound bowling ball, putting it up on your shoulder and then throwing it farther than a 62 foot-long bowling lane.Cantwell's throws are shot-putting him into impressive company"Indoors, there are only three other people who have thrown farther than Christian ever in the history of the world. Track is the oldest sport in the world besides wrestling so this is some elite company, you're talking mount everest here," said Coach Halter.All the success could go to Cantwell's head, but it doesn't. Rather it goes to his gym bag."I asked him if he had some tape and he's digging through his duffle bag or book bag or something and his world championship medal fell on the ground. He just wadded it up. Oh yeah just check this thing out. Oh Christian that's your World Championship medal," Coach Halter said.Cantwell is now preparing for the US Olympic qualifier starting June 27th in Eugene, Oregon.Despite all his success, he has never made it to the Olympics.Cantwell added, "I've done it so many times, I know it is going to be easy for me, I can do it just doing what I can do"Coach Halter said Cantwell will be a contender, "As long as Christian is healthy his competitors are scared. They're looking over their shoulders."If he makes it to the summer games in Beijing, there will be more room in his gym bag for another gold."Anything less than winning, if I am healthy, would be a disaster," Cantwell said.While Cantwell is training in Columbia for the Olympic Qualifiers, he is also helping out the MU Track and Field Team as a volunteer assistant coach.

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