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Disappearing act Godina hasn't been the same since last summer
SYDNEY, Australia -- Two years ago John Godina had the track world by the throat. He was a two-time world champion in the shot put who had 13 of the 14 longest throws in the world in 1998, a ridiculous level of dominance. What's more, his discus was improving quickly. In '99 he won the national title in the shot by more than three feet and finished second in the discus. He talked about winning two Olympic golds, a double no man had done since 1924, and it seemed realistic. Then something happened. Godina ran out of gas or will or something. Last August at the World Championships in Seville, Big John failed to qualify for the discus final and finished a very disappointing seventh in the shot. His longtime coach, Art Venegas, blamed too much time at the top and too many days in the ring. Godina went home to Wyoming for six months of R&R.
Maybe he should have taken a year. Don't get me wrong, Godina is still among the best throwers in the world, but he's just not the same character who threatened to dominate his sport for a decade. He made the Olympic team in the discus this year but finished fourth in the shot put at the trials. However, he was added to the team in the shot when C.J. Hunter withdrew after knee surgery. At his best, Godina was not only brilliant in competition but clever and Monty Python-esque away from it, a sweet, clever guy with a sense of humor. All of that is gone. After a shot-throwing session in Sydney, Godina endured a brief interview with a half dozen U.S. track writers -- people he knows well -- as if it were a toenail removal. He wasn't unpleasant at all, just uncomfortable. More importantly, he hasn't thrown far in more than a year. "I need to see some long throws, that would help," Godina said. He's an unlikely medalist in the discus competition, but despite his troubles he will be a threat in the shot. U.S. teammate Adam Nelson has risen from far off the radar screen to the position of Olympic favorite, but Godina and Andy Bloom, the third U.S. entry, will join Yuriy Belonog of Ukraine and Oliver-Sven Buder of Germany in the medal chase. Despite originally not making the team in the shot, Godina kept working on the event, kept throwing in European meets. Hunter's loss is his opportunity. "We're right on the edge," Godina said Monday. "It just hasn't broken through yet." Funny thing, Venegas said the same thing in July.
Kenah optimistic about 800Rich Kenah, who will run the 800 meters for the U.S., doesn't have Godina's profile, but he's a very viable medal underdog. Kenah told me that he thinks his conditioning level is similar to 1997, when he took a surprise silver in the 800 at the worlds in Athens. Kenah is the kind of guy who could deliver. At 30, he has enough experience and finishing speed to survive the 800 heats, a cauldron of pressure that builds through each round and requires terrific mental toughness and lightning-fast decision-making. It is the toughest event on the track in this regard. If he makes the final, Kenah could be in a good spot. With thoroughbreds like Kenyan-Dane Wilson Kipketer and Andre Bucher of Switzerland in the field, it is likely that the pace will be quick and honest, benefiting a late mover like Kenah. "In a fast race, I think I can close faster than everybody else," says Kenah. It has been a bittersweet summer for Kenah. His wife, U.S. 5,000-meter runner Cheri Kenah, was expected to make the U.S. team, but her training was sabotaged by a torn plantar fascia in May. "She handled it remarkably well," says Kenah. Cheri will be in Sydney with Kenah's parents. What's more, Kenah will indulge himself one small piece of ritual superstition that he started in '97: Before racing, he will shave his legs, just to get the sensation of running faster. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tim Layden is in Sydney covering the track and field competition for the magazine and CNNSI.com. Check back daily to read Layden's behind-the-scenes reports from Down Under.
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