Commonwealth Games Discus Thrower

Heroes and Ballet Dancers

Though I did get tired of the National Anthem and the television obsession with Australian winners in the swimming and many other events I really admire some of the athletes for their passion and dedication. It is a pity that Fiji did not send any throwers to these Games, maybe it was because their coach James Rogers died last year.

An Australian hero - and ballet dancer - Scott Martin, the discus thrower who at almost the last minute thought he was in for a Bronze Medal, then his very last throw was 63 plus, pipping the leader by a few centimetres! The Canadian guy was not happy! But that happens. Throwing the discus requires dedication - learning to rotate, use power as well as technique.

Scott is a Melbourne young man who was in the National Bank advertisement on TV over the past months as the big guy who joined in with the ballerinas to help him with his balance and technique.

Our family are passionate about the throwing events, javelin, hammer, discus and shotput and our youngest son has thrown with Scott numerous times over the past years, since Scott was a much smaller guy at sixteen, so we were delighted with Scott's win last night.

The javelin prelims will be on tonight and tomorrow night the final and we are looking forward to some good results though Steve Backley, the English guy has retired. They should throw in the middle 80s. Of course the great hero of jav is Zelesny from Checkoslovakia who threw over 90 and threw over 85 for a decade and the best jav throwers are mainly from Europe and are not in the Commonwealth Games.