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2004 Olympic Games Olympia - Men's Shot Put

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 2004 Olympic Games Athens - (Athletics); Last Updated: 17 April 2020; Hits: 1123

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Host City: Athina, Greece

Date Started: August 18, 2004

Date Finished: August 18, 2004

(Competitors: 39; Countries: 27; Finalists: 12)

Venue(s): Ancient Olympic Stadium, Olympia

Overview by IAAF

The Greek organisers decided to hold the shot at Olympia, to focus attention on the event and use the ancient Olympic venue two days before the start of the main programme of athletics. So the first Olympic competition at Olympia for 1, 621 years began with the morning qualifying round, which saw only six men reach the standard of 20.40. The biggest surprise was the failure of Reese Hoffa (USA) who had thrown 21.67 earlier in the year, but managed only 19.40. Intense Adam Nelson began the final with 21.16, which was threatened by Belonog’s 21.15 later in the round, and Godina fouled an effort of 21m. Belonog and Godina duplicated their efforts of the first round, and the American then put 20.19, good enough for only ninth place. Olsen threw 21.07 to move into third ahead of Martinez. Only eight of the 24 throws in the second half of the competition were valid, a situation brought about by athletes trying too hard. Nelson fouled five of his throws, finishing off with a marginal foul of 21.30. Much to his frustration, because Belonog – throwing immediately before Nelson – had moved into first on countback with his 21.16. The 1972 competition had been won by an Eastern bloc thrower over an American by 1cm; this was the first Olympic title to be decided by the second best mark. It seemed appropriate for Olympia.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

The event was conducted at the Ancient Olympic stadium on the Peleponnesus, although the woman threw first and had the honor of the first competition there in over 1,600 years. Adam Nelson (USA) had placed second at the last three major meets – the 2000 Olympics, and the 2001 and 2003 World Championships – and he hoped to improve on that. He opened with 21.16 (69-5¼) in round one, which led. It would be his best throw, and in fact, his only fair throw, as he followed with five fouls. In second after the first round was Ukraine's Yuriy Bilonoh with 21.15 (69-4¾), only one centimeter back. He repeated that mark in round two but could do no better, and still trailed Nelson until the final round. In the final round Nelson had a marginal foul of around 21.30 (69-10¾), and had to settle for his opening mark. Bilonoh then threw 21.16 (69-5¼) in the final round to tie Nelson, but his next best mark was better than Nelson's, who had no next best mark. Thus Nelson was again in second place. Finally in 2005, he would stop that trend, winning the World Championships.

But Nelson would eventually do better. In 2012 the IOC re-tested the drug samples from the Athens Olympics. Bilonoh would be disqualified in December 2012 when his doping sample revealed the presence of oxandrolone metabolite, an anabolic steroid. In June 2013 the IOC re-classified the medals, awarding Nelson the gold medal, with the silver medal going to Joachim Olsen and the bronze to Manuel Martínez.

Records

Prior to the competition, the existing World and Olympic records were as follows.

World record	Randy Barnes (USA)	23.12 m	Los Angeles, United States	20 May 1990
Olympic record	Ulf Timmermann (GDR)	22.47 m	Seoul, South Korea	23 September 1988

No new records were set during the competition.

17 AUG 2004 Preview Athens, Greece

Men’s and Women's Shot Put PREVIEWS - Olympia

Olympia, Greece An historic moment for the Shot Put discipline and the sport of Athletics in general will take place here tomorrow.

Both the men's and women's competitions (preliminary rounds and finals) have been honoured, and will take place in the original Olympic stadium of antiquity in Olympia, rather than the modern stage in Athens.

The eventual medallists will also get their moment of glory in Athens, as their awards will be presented in the main Olympic stadium on Friday 20 August, during the evening session of that day's Athletics programme.

----------------------------

Men's Shot PREVIEW

With the top four competitions of the year – 22.54m, 22.35, 22.25 and 21.74 – it was one of the greatest upsets when the 23 year-old World Indoor champion Christian Cantwell – IAAF World Rankings number one at the event - flopped badly in the Trials (4th 20.56) and failed to make the US Olympic team.

However, such is the strength of American shot putting that it would not be dangerous to wager on a US podium sweep for the first time at the Games since Rome in 1960! In all, the US have won 17 gold, 18 silver and 11 bronze medals at this event in Olympic history, and it looks like nothing will stop them adding to these totals in Athens.

Represented by three-time World champion (bronze medallist Sydney 2000) John Godina (21.71), Adam Nelson, the reigning World and Olympic silver medallist (21.68), and Reese Hoffa (21.67), the US are blessed with the three furthest throwers in the starting line-up.

Yet 28 year-old Andrey Mikhnevich of Belarus is not one to be intimidated by mere statistics. The reigning World champion who had a disappointing World Indoor campaign in Budapest where he finished sixth, continued at a low ebb early this summer with just one competition (20.19 – 5 June) above 20 metres. Then BANG, on 31 July he unleashed a mighty 21.23 season’s best on home turf in Stayki, Belarus.

The Belarussian, whose personal best is the 21.69 with which he won the World crown last summer in the Stade de France, might just have peaked at the right moment.

Separating Mikhnevich from the Americans on the 2004 world list is South Africa’s Janus Robberts with a 21.24 season’s best. The 25 year-old African record holder (21.97 – 2001) and two-time champion has long possessed the potential to win a major global title but has flopped on a number of occasions, notably the 2001 and 2003 World Championships. However, Robberts is now finished with US college commitments which in the past have necessitated him peaking twice in a season, and he now claims he is on course for gold in Athens.

Of the other 21m putters of 2004 summer, Chile’s surprise Area record breaker Marco Antonio Verni (21.14) must be viewed as an outside challenger given his limited major championship experience and recent rise to top world class. He started the year with a PB of just 20.38!

2003 World Indoor champion Manuel Martinez (ESP) is a prolific competitor, having had eleven competitions this summer. His one and only put over 21m came in Salamanca (21.06) on 13 July. His 21.47 PB also came from that same circle in 2002.

Just two other men are above the 21m line – Yuriy Belov of Ukraine (21.03) and Joachim Olsen of Denmark (21.00), who is the European silver medallist.

Of the large group of high range-20m putters this season, do not discount Ukraine’s 2002 European champion and 2003 World bronze medallist Yuriy Bilonog (20.88), who knows all about peaking for a championship. Possibly even Germany’s Ralf Bartels (20.88), the European bronze medallist, might figure too.

Finland’s reigning Olympic champion Arsi Harju, who also took the World bronze medal in 2001, is now out of the picture. After losing his technique after a good 2003 indoor season (21.00m indoor SB and 4th at World Indoor Champs – 20.96), he has suffered a serious chest injury this summer. Despite showing no form this season he was given a place in the Finnish trio for Athens, along with 2003 World Championships medalists Ville Tiisanoja (20.90) and Tepa Reinikainen (20.50), but has now withdrawn from defending his title.

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Women's Shot PREVIEW

It is a dangerous statement to make, especially with the competitive temperament of Germany’s 1996 Olympic champion Astrid Kumbernuss waiting to confound the form book but it is nearly certain that the women's Shot medals will be divided solely between Russia or Belarus in Olympia.

Only three women have so far put beyond 20 metres this summer. Topping the world list in 2004 are the Russians Irina Korzhanenko (20.79m) and Svetlana Krivelyova (20.69), and the Belarussian, Natalya Kharaneko (20.04).

The Russians also top the IAAF World Rankings for the Event - Krivelyova (1st) and Korzhanenko (2nd).

Yumileidi Cumbá of Cuba with a 19.97 PB win at the recent IberoAmerican Championships is the fourth best thrower of this summer on the performance list. Former three-time World champion Kumbernuss, who was the bronze medallist in Sydney is the next furthest (19.60), while Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus, stands sixth on the lists with a 19.37 performance from back in May.

Reigning Olympic champion, and 2001 World gold medal winner Yanina Korolchik, who is also from Belarus, has not competed since winning the 2003 national title, while Russia’s Larisa Peleshenko, who took the silver in Sydney 2000 has retired.

Germany’s Nadine Kleinert (19.27), and Olga Rybinkina of Russia (19.12) are the only other athletes in the world this year over 19 metres, such is the sudden and dramatic drop-off from the very top of the world’s elite to those of more moderate international standard.

But returning to our opening remarks, it would be one of the biggest shocks of Games history should neither 2003 World champion Krivelyova, 35, who was the Olympic champion in 1992, nor Korzhanenko, 30, the European champion, take the Olympic laurels.

Significantly, Korzhanenko has taken two 20 metre competition battles ahead of Krivelyova this summer, first beating the World champion in Kazan (8 July – 20.65 to 20.49), and then at the national championships in Tula (20.79 to 20.69).

With another 20m competition in Tula on 5 June (20.42) to her credit, Korzhanenko, who won the 2003 World Indoor title, stands as the Olympic favourite.

It is not beyond possibility that Russia will take a podium sweep, as Rybinkina their number three, is close in the current season’s lists to Cumbá and Kleinert, who were the minor World Indoor Championships medallists this winter.

NOTE. The annual problem of very few international competitions on which to judge form is repeated this again year, as few of the world’s top-10 have actually met in action this season.

Chris Turner
IAAF Editorial Manager

			Results

18 AUG 2004 Report Olympia, Greece Men’s SHOT PUT FINAL Report Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine snatched the closest men’s Shot Put final in the history of the Olympic Games with a 21.16 to 21.16 duel with America’s Adam Nelson, which was only split on countback due to the Ukrainian's better second effort (NB. in reality Nelson didn't have another registered mark). As such, the American's career remained unfortunately stuck in the silver medal groove tonight in the Ancient Stadium of Olympia. In 1896 at the first modern Olympic Games, America had got the win by virtue of just two centimetres but the closest previous final before this evening had occurred at the 1972 Munich Olympics where the difference between gold and silver was just one centimetre! The venue called for a Greek drama but the result was more of a tragedy for the 29-year-old Nelson, who has now taken second place in two Olympic Games, two outdoor World Championships and one World Indoors. The only major global win he has to his credit is the 2002 World Cup, and coming into the Athens Olympics as the second furthest putter on the start-lists this season (21.69) he must have been encouraged to think that this Olympic title was also in his hands, but it was not to be. When Nelson powered to a 21.16m lead in round one, everyone imagined it would have knocked the stuffing out of the opposition. However, most of the energy seemed rather to have disappeared from Nelson's own game as he did not register another mark in the final, fouling all his remaining efforts, and that was to be his ultimate downfall. European champion Bilonog, 30, who has also had his fair share of minor global medal positions - two World Indoor bronze and last year’s outdoor World bronze in Paris – could at least claim the 1997 World Indoor crown by comparison to the luckless American. The Ukrainian also held the edge because of his consistency this evening, his 21.15m first round effort coming just one centimetre short in response to Nelson’s opening heave. If anyone can been called unlucky it was Bilonog at the early stage of the final, as after his second round release the scoreboard again showed 21.15, as he had matched his first round effort. A 21.07m effort in the third round must have only confirmed his frustration. In an evening of duplicate throws, Denmark’s Joachim Olsen who had won the European silver behind Bilonog in 2002, also was credited with a 21.07 mark, a result eventually good enough for the bronze medal. With both Bilonog and Nelson putting fouls like it was going out of style, there was no change in the medal order for the next two rounds, and then bang with his last effort the Ukrainian in the most dramatic fashion drew level with Nelson with his own 21.16 effort. Within a few minutes the gold fell definitively into Bilonog's hands - thanks to his better second best effort (21.15) - after Nelson unleashed a massive 21m plus foul in desperate response, with what was the very last effort of the final. Back in fourth place was 2003 World Indoor champion Manuel Martinez of Spain (20.84), and reigning World champion Andrey Mikhnevich of Belrus was fifth (20.64), after which the competition results tailed off dramatically in distance. Former three-time World champion John Godina (USA) who had thrown 21.71 this summer was totally off-form with a 20.19 best, and missed the top-8 cut after the first three throws had been completed. 22 JUN 2013 General News Des Moines, USA Nelson to be honoured as Olympic champion in Des Moines Adam Nelson will stand atop the podium on Sunday afternoon at the US Championships to be recognised as the 2004 Olympic champion in the men’s Shot Put. Nelson will be honoured during a victory ceremony where he will receive a laurel wreath, have the national anthem played in his honour, and take a victory lap around Drake Stadium. Nelson won the Olympic Shot Put title with his throw of 21.16m in 2004 in the ancient Olympic Stadium in Olympia. Nelson was originally awarded the silver medal before Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine was stripped of the gold in December 2012 due to a doping violation. The IAAF and IOC recently officially named Nelson as the gold medallist. Nelson’s incredible list of medals now includes the 2004 Olympic gold, 2000 Olympic silver, 2005 World gold and three World silver medals. Nelson won medals at every outdoor World Championships and Olympic Games from 2000 to 2007. USATF for the IAAF
*Shot Put*	Men		Final	18 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	21.16		Adam Nelson	United States	USA	7 Jul 75
2	21.07		Joachim Olsen	Denmark	DEN	31 May 77
3	20.84		Manuel Martínez	Spain	ESP	7 Dec 74
4	20.60		Andrei Mikhnevich	Belarus	BLR	12 Jul 76
5	20.34		Yury Bialou	Belarus	BLR	20 Mar 81
6	20.31		Justin Anlezark	Australia	AUS	14 Aug 77
7	20.26		Ralf Bartels	Germany	GER	21 Feb 78
8	20.19		John Godina	United States	USA	31 May 72
9	19.92		Mikuláš Konopka	Slovakia	SVK	23 Jan 79
10	19.34		Miran Vodovnik	Slovenia	SLO	11 Sep 77
11	19.21		Petr Stehlík	Czech Republic	CZE	15 Apr 77
	DQ		Yuriy Bilonoh
18 AUG 2004 Report Men's SHOT PUT qualification REPORT In the heat of the late morning sunshine the men were under much greater stress in terms of the blisteringly hot weather than the women qualifiers who competed earlier this morning in Olympia. Reigning Olympic and World silver medallist Adam Nelson (USA) however was not in any mood to consider such minor inconveniences, and spectacularly heaved a marvellous second round 21.15m to automatically qualify (his first round was a foul). Nelson was one of six men to surpass the 20.40 minimum which guaranteed passage to tonight’s Final (1730hrs). Nelson headed Pool A, while Denmark’s European silver medallist Joachim Olsen with a solid 20.78 topped the other group, and had the second best performance overall of the morning. Germany’s Ralf Bartels who had surprisingly snatched the European bronze behind Olsen and Ukraine’s Yuriy Bilonog in 2002, was in championship groove again with a best of 20.65, the third best of today. The Ukrainian European champion just mentioned followed closely with 20.61. Both these men were competing in Nelson’s pool. John Godina, the former three-time World champion also went through thanks to a 20.53 performance having opened with a lowly 19.73. However, the third American, Reese Hoffa, who has a season's best of 21.67, and was the third longest thrower on today’s start list did not make the cut with just 19.40. The sixth automatic qualifier was Australia’s Commonwealth champion Justin Anlezark with 20.45. Making up the numbers were 2003 World Indoor champion Manuel Martinez of Spain (20.37), Slovak Mikulas Konopka (20.32), Czech Petr Stehlik (20.06), Yuriy Belov of Belarus (20.06) and Slovenia’s Miran Vodovnik (20.04). Also slipping into the final as the ninth best of the day was the reigning World champion Andrey Mikhnevich, who put together three nearly matching 20m puts (20.10, 20.11, 20.09). However, the Belarussian will need to up his game this evening if he is to figure in the medal battle. Besides Hoffa who we have already mentioned, the other main surprises were the non-qualifications of both the South African and Finnish athletes, and of the newly established South American record holder (21.14) Marco Verni, who could manage no registered mark today.
*Shot Put*	Men		Qualifying Round Group A	18 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	21.15	Q	Adam Nelson	United States	USA	7 Jul 75
2	20.65	Q	Ralf Bartels	Germany	GER	21 Feb 78
3	20.45	Q	Justin Anlezark	Australia	AUS	14 Aug 77
4	20.11	Q	Andrei Mikhnevich	Belarus	BLR	12 Jul 76
5	20.06	Q	Petr Stehlík	Czech Republic	CZE	15 Apr 77
6	19.69		Rutger Smith	Netherlands	NED	9 Jul 81
7	19.68		Gheorghe Guşet	Romania	ROU	28 May 68
8	19.67		Ivan Yushkov	Russia	RUS	15 Jan 81
9	19.40		Reese Hoffa	United States	USA	8 Oct 77
10	19.38		Pavel Chumachenko	Russia	RUS	5 Apr 71
11	19.25		Ivan Emilianov	Moldova	MDA	19 Feb 77
12	19.14		Taavi Peetre	Estonia	EST	5 Jul 83
13	19.09		Antonín Žalský	Czech Republic	CZE	7 Aug 80
14	19.07		Nedžad Mulabegović	Croatia	CRO	4 Feb 81
15	18.89		Detlef Bock	Germany	GER	15 Aug 74
16	18.52		Roman Virastyuk	Ukraine	UKR	20 Apr 68
17	17.75		Galin Kostadinov	Bulgaria	BUL	25 Dec 79
	DQ		Yuriy Bilonoh
	NM		Marco Verni	Chile	CHI	27 Feb 76
	NM		Bahadur Singh Sagoo	India	IND	7 May 73
*Shot Put*	Men		Qualifying Round Group B	18 August

Rank	Mark		Athlete	Country	NOC	Birth Date	Records
1	20.78	Q	Joachim Olsen	Denmark	DEN	31 May 77
2	20.53	Q	John Godina	United States	USA	31 May 72
3	20.37	Q	Manuel Martínez	Spain	ESP	7 Dec 74
4	20.32	Q	Mikuláš Konopka	Slovakia	SVK	23 Jan 79
5	20.06	Q	Yury Bialou	Belarus	BLR	20 Mar 81
6	20.04	Q	Miran Vodovnik	Slovenia	SLO	11 Sep 77
7	19.74		Tepa Reinikainen	Finland	FIN	16 Mar 76
8	19.60		Pavel Lyzhyn	Belarus	BLR	24 Mar 81
9	19.55		Tomasz Majewski	Poland	POL	30 Aug 81
10	19.50		Ville Tiisanoja	Finland	FIN	24 Dec 75
11	19.46		Brad Snyder	Canada	CAN	8 Jan 76
12	19.41		Janus Robberts	South Africa	RSA	10 Mar 79
13	19.31		Zsolt Bíber	Hungary	HUN	31 May 76
14	19.09		Peter Sack	Germany	GER	27 Jul 79
15	19.04		Khalid Habash Al-Suwaidi	Qatar	QAT	10 Oct 84
16	19.02		Pavel Sofyin	Russia	RUS	4 Sep 81
17	18.91		Dragan Perić	Serbia	SRB	8 May 64
18	18.67		Burger Lambrechts	South Africa	RSA	3 Apr 73
19	18.44		Edis Elkasević	Croatia	CRO	18 Feb 83

Detailed View

Qualifying round

Rule: Qualifying standard 20.40 (Q) or at least 12 best qualified (q).

Rank	Group	Name	Nationality	#1	#2	#3	Result	Notes
1	A	Adam Nelson	United States	x	21.15	—	21.15	Q
2	B	Joachim Olsen	Denmark	20.78	—	—	20.78	Q
3	A	Ralf Bartels	Germany	20.65	—	—	20.65	Q
4	A	Yuriy Bilonoh	Ukraine	20.61	—	—	20.61	Q
5	B	John Godina	United States	19.73	20.53	—	20.53	Q
6	A	Justin Anlezark	Australia	18.53	20.45	—	20.45	Q
7	B	Manuel Martínez	Spain	19.15	19.54	20.37	20.37	q
8	B	Mikuláš Konopka	Slovakia	20.32	20.20	x	20.32	q
9	A	Andrei Mikhnevich	Belarus	20.10	20.11	20.09	20.11	q
10	A	Petr Stehlík	Czech Republic	x	19.74	20.06	20.06	q
11	B	Yury Bialou	Belarus	x	x	20.06	20.06	q
12	B	Miran Vodovnik	Slovenia	18.83	20.04	x	20.04	q
13	B	Tepa Reinikainen	Finland	18.27	19.71	19.74	19.74
14	A	Rutger Smith	Netherlands	19.02	19.28	19.69	19.69
15	A	Gheorghe Guşet	Romania	19.42	19.26	19.68	19.68
16	A	Ivan Yushkov	Russia	19.15	19.42	19.67	19.67
17	B	Pavel Lyzhyn	Belarus	x	x	19.60	19.60
18	B	Tomasz Majewski	Poland	19.55	19.07	x	19.55
19	B	Ville Tiisanoja	Finland	19.28	19.50	x	19.50
20	B	Bradley Snyder	Canada	19.36	19.46	x	19.46
21	B	Janus Robberts	South Africa	19.41	x	x	19.41
22	A	Reese Hoffa	United States	18.88	x	19.40	19.40
23	A	Pavel Chumachenko	Russia	19.17	19.38	x	19.38
24	B	Zsolt Bíber	Hungary	19.31	x	x	19.31
25	A	Ivan Emilianov	Moldova	18.83	18.92	19.25	19.25
26	A	Taavi Peetre	Estonia	19.14	18.97	x	19.14
27	A	Antonín Žalský	Czech Republic	18.93	19.09	x	19.09
28	B	Peter Sack	Germany	19.09	17.91	x	19.09
29	A	Nedžad Mulabegović	Croatia	x	18.86	19.07	19.07
30	B	Khalid Habash Al-Suwaidi	Qatar	x	x	19.04	19.04
31	B	Pavel Sofin	Russia	18.78	19.02	x	19.02
32	B	Dragan Perić	Serbia and Montenegro	18.91	18.79	18.74	18.91
33	A	Detlef Bock	Germany	18.40	18.89	x	18.89
34	B	Burger Lambrechts	South Africa	18.67	18.63	x	18.67
35	A	Roman Virastyuk	Ukraine	18.12	18.40	18.52	18.52
36	B	Edis Elkasević	Croatia	17.54	18.44	x	18.44
37	A	Galin Kostadinov	Bulgaria	17.75	17.51	17.47	17.75
	A	Marco Antonio Verni	Chile	x	x	x	NM
	A	Bahadur Singh Sagoo	India	x	x	x	NM

Final

Rank	Athlete	Nationality	1	2	3	4	5	6	Result	Notes
	Adam Nelson	United States	21.16	x	x	x	x	x	21.16
	Joachim Olsen	Denmark	20.47	20.48	21.07	20.78	x	x	21.07
	Manuel Martínez	Spain	20.70	20.21	20.48	20.78	20.84	x	20.84
4	Andrei Mikhnevich	Belarus	19.41	20.51	x	x	20.60	x	20.60
5	Yury Bialou	Belarus	20.34	20.33	x	x	x	19.88	20.34
6	Justin Anlezark	Australia	20.07	x	20.31	x	x	x	20.31
7	Ralf Bartels	Germany	20.26	x	x	20.07	x	20.00	20.26
8	John Godina	United States	x	x	20.19				20.19
9	Mikuláš Konopka	Slovakia	x	19.92	19.91				19.92
10	Miran Vodovnik	Slovenia	19.34	18.93	x				19.34
11	Petr Stehlík	Czech Republic	18.72	x	19.21				19.21
	Yuriy Bilonoh	Ukraine	~~21.15~~	~~21.15~~	~~21.07~~	x	x	~~21.16~~	~~21.16~~	DSQ