The strongest men's club meets in Paris

March 4 1997

MONACO - Monte Carlo - The strongest men in athletics, so often overlooked by Meeting Organisers and Media, will get the chance to throw their weight around at the World Indoor Championships. Because when prize money is introduced for the first time at an IAAF competition later this week there will be no subjective analysis of what an event is worth. In Paris, appropriately, all athletes will be treated as equals: winners of the shot put stand to gain the same $50,000 Competition Award as victors of glamour events like the 60 metres or the 1500 metres.

Whether this has contributed to the quality of entries in the men’s shot put event is a matter for debate but, in any case, Paris promises to offer a near-repeat of the Olympic shot put final. Of the world’s best shot putters only Olympic champion Randy Barnes will be missing - because he was beaten fair and square in the US indoor championships last weekend and failed to make the team. His countryman John Godina, the reigning World Champion and Olympic silver medallist, clinched his berth with a 20.43m effort. The bronze medallist from Atlanta, Oleksandr Bagach (Ukraine), has thrown 20.65m this winter while Mika Halvari (Finland) has a season’s best of 20.68 and Oliver-Sven Buder (Germany) has thrown 20.78.

Yet the favourite in Paris on current form is Italy’s Paolo Dal Soglio, whose best of 21.03m was set in Genoa on February 11. Dal Soglio may not be a household name but he was fourth in Atlanta, losing the bronze to Bagach by just one centimetre in the last round. Should his luck change in Paris he could win gold - in both senses …

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Despite the lack of media coverage often experienced by the shot put, there will be no distinction made when it comes to winning gold in Paris. Equality and Fraternity will be standing high at the World Indoor Championships' awards ceremony and all will have the Liberty to do their honest best.