Stewart has ‘shot’ at world mark
De Grasse anchors Canada’s relay win, posting sixth-fastest time globally in event this year
Wayne Gretzky famously said: “You miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.”
It almost came to fruition for Greg Stewart. But the mammoth Kamloops athlete wasn’t about to miss his shot, even if he didn’t have any Tuesday at the Vancouver Sun/Harry Jerome International Track Classic at Swangard Stadium.
With the actual shots MIA from the annual event, Stewart and his fellow shot put competitors had to sweat it out until some replacement equipment was sourced from the UBC team’s shed at the Point Grey campus and transported the venerable Burnaby stadium.
Stewart eventually placed third in the shot with a 15.61metre throw, behind Surrey’s Druv Sobti (17.25) and PoCo’s Jerrett Chong (17.07).
Stewart’s finish stood out because: a) He’s 7-2, 320 pounds; b) The 32-year-old has only thrown shot seriously for nine months, and;
c) He was competing against able-bodied athletes — he was born missing his left arm from the elbow down.
“I’m so new to this thing. So new,” said the affable Stewart, who’s being trained by Canadian shot legend Dylan Armstrong, who won bronze at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
“Dylan and I have been at it for about nine months now, so I’m really trying to limit my expectations, and just go out there and experience it. Feel the intensity, feel the environment, the crowd, and just go out there and throw.
“I’m really grateful I threw a 15.61, which is not bad. It’s actually my third-best throw in the last two weeks. My last three practices, I haven’t thrown over 15, so I was really humbled by that. It’s just learning.”
His humility is inapt. Since his first attempt in October, he’s improved from 13.08 to a personal best of 15.80 metres he set two weeks ago at the Desert Challenge Games in Phoenix, Ariz.
For perspective, that’s just 18 centimetres short of the current Paralympic world record held by American Josh Cinnamo — who he beat in Phoenix, jumping into the No. 1 spot in the Paralympic rankings — and would have won the F46 class gold at the 2017 Paralympic world championships.
It’s put a personal bull’s-eye on both for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, not just to make it there, but to medal.
“Podium potential. Definitely. That’s the ultimate goal,” said Armstrong. “Even though he’s just started, there’s tons of progression he’s already achieved this year. Even if he didn’t throw any further this year, he’s on track for Tokyo.”
Stewart has been an elite athlete since his days starring for the South Kamloops Titans in high school. Playing with a large paddle-like prosthetic, he went on to play basketball for Thompson Rivers University — being named the CIS defensive player of the year in 2011 — and also starred for the Canadian men’s Paralympics volleyball team.
In some power sports, like powerlifting, long arms can be a detriment. But Stewart’s leverage and length — he can release the shot at a high nearing 10 feet — gives him an advantage over shorter, stockier throwers. It’s now just a matter of honing his technique and building up the appropriate muscles.
“I think it’s just consistency. That’s one of the biggest things Dylan has harped on, right from the beginning,” said Stewart.
“If you want to do well, you have to be consistent with your training, your diet, everything you do. If you play in a sport, you make a commitment and you have to stick to it. You may have to make some sacrifices to get there. It’s just discipline.
“I’ve got two years to go. The big thing is staying committed, and staying healthy. I am an older guy, almost 32 now. I have a long ways ahead of me. I’m still a rookie, there’s no question about that — a rookie through and through, but I’m just going to be committed, work every day with Dylan, and try to get better every day.”
With the Jerome in the books, Stewart is heading to Ottawa for the Para-Athletics Canadian Championships in July, and will return to B.C. for the provincial championships July 13-15 in Coquitlam.
CANADA-CHINA SPRINT CHALLENGE
The intra-meet friendly competition between Canada and China came down to the final race Wednesday, with the host team earning the right to raise the Pacific Rim Cup after a blazing performance by the Canadian foursome.
The men’s 4x100-metre relay team — Gavin Smellie, Aaron Brown, Bolade Ajomale and Andre De Grasse — set a meet record of 38.42, besting the mark set 25 years ago by a team from Santa Monica, Calif., a squad anchored by Olympic legend Carl Lewis.
As he crossed the finish line, De Grasse raised his arm in triumph to cheers from the packed stands at Swangard, as Canada posted the sixth-fastest time globally in the event this year, and the quickest by a Canadian team.
Smellie ran the opening leg despite having run earlier in the evening, when he won the men’s 200 metres by just 2/100ths of a second over Coquitlam’s Jerome Blake (20.74).
The women’s 4x100-metre relay squad of Farrah Jacques, Crystal Emmanuel, Whitney Rowe and Leya Buchanan placed second to a China team that displayed flawless exchanges and breakaway speed on its way to a meet-record time of 43.75. Canada, minus Sage Watson, timed in at 44.30.
In the women’s 400 metres, Canada swept the podium, with Aiyanna Stiverne taking first in 53.03, followed by Madeline Price (53.46) and Alicia Brown (53.53).
Canada’s Philip Osei (46.81) took first in the men’s 400 metres, while teammate Daniel Harper (47.15) beat out China’s Yuang Wu (47.15) in a photo finish.