Question: I just read this interview with Dr. Bondarchuk. In it, he says the two reasons U.S. hammer throwing lags behind is because of the way we train (lack of special strength) and technique issues. You have talked a lot about how to train special strength, I would like to know what you think some of the major flaws in the U.S. style of technique is compared to what Dr. B teaches. -Jeff
Read more
I hate starting a day off with bad news, but that’s exactly how my Thursday started this week. I normally check my e-mail right when I get up to see what I missed during daytime in America. My first e-mail was from my father and simply entitled “Harold Connolly.” I immediately got a strange feeling about it and, as I opened it, my worst fears were confirmed. My friend and mentor, 1956 gold medalist Harold Connolly had passed away. Read more
Hungarians know and love the hammer throw. The country is steeped in tradition and has produced four hammer throw gold medalists (third all-time behind the Soviet Union and America). Their state-owned television company has even produced a documentary on a notable hammer throwing coach. It came as no surprise when Hungary offered to host the hammer throw at the World Athletics Final from 2003 to 2005 after the infrastructure in Monaco was deemed unable to host the hammer. The challenge facing the event now is that many people, including myself, feel the event’s exclusion from top meets has put it on the periphery of track and field. And, yet again, it comes as no surprise that a Hungarian is one of the first to offer a possible solution to the problems facing our event.
The Proposal
Sándor Eckschmiedt is more than just your average university professor. At one time, he was among the world’s best hammer throwers. Track and Field News ranked Eckschmiedt in the world top ten on four separate occasions: 1964, 1967, 1968, and 1972. He also made the Olympic final in both 1968 and 1972, placing a career-high fifth in 1968. But now he sits on the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Semmelweis University in Budapest. His most recent work has been to publish a proposal for saving the hammer throw. A copy of this report is available below.
Read more
1956 Gold Medalist Hal Connolly
I am lucky enough to have been coached by two Olympic medalists throughout my career: Harold “Hal” Connolly (’56) and Anatoli Bondarchuk (’72). It is interesting to see how many similarities they have in their approach to the sport despite their differences in upbringing (Boston vs. the Soviet Union). First, they are both very resourceful. I have seen Hal at work in his shop developing various makeshift implements to throw onto astroturf fields. Dr. B is well known within our training group for jerry-rigging hammers. If we only have a 6-kilogram hammer and he needs a 6.5-kiogram hammer, he’ll just strap on enough bolts and washers for it to be the desired weight. If we run out of handles, he’ll find some scrap metal and weld his own. His solution isn’t always the safest (I’ve often been thrown to the ground as my hammer breaks), but it allows us to continue with training.
Read more
I just returned to Seattle for the holidays and was greeted by an unusual site in Seattle: a foot of fresh snow. Training in the snow is one of my favorites parts of the season. The air is always quite and cool and I feel very relaxed. But then again, walking around in ice and snow with shoes that have absolutely no traction can get tiresome quickly. My training has come together a lot in the past few weeks. The step back I took in November has been translating into continued progress recently. Coach B told me on Friday that my general strength and fitness level are both great right now, creating collateral improvements in my throw. Unfortunately, I cannot update you on my training distances since the winter weather in Kamloops and Seattle has kept me throwing inside against a wall (temperatures have consistently been hovering between 0º and -10º Fahrenheit). I’ll be posting some distances once the snow melts.
Read more
