16
thletics athletics
DANI SAMUELS - IN A SPIN All last year Dani Samuels knew she had it within her. A 64 metre throw was there in the waiting. But it wouldn’t come. When it mattered the big throws went to the right. Out of the sector. A foul. Counting for nothing. A year later Samuels is the world champion and the youngest ever in the discus. At just 21 years of age she produced her best when it mattered. But the process to get her into that position was lengthy. “Last year I could throw 64m but they were very hit and miss – they were going out of the sector in the Olympics – this year I became a lot more consistent because I worked on those changes in my technique for two years now rather than just half a year or one year,” said Samuels. “We mainly concentrated on working my right leg at the back. My left leg was getting in a good position but getting more use out of my right leg, not just sort of having it attached to my body. Definitely getting use out of it and using it to propel me through the circle and creating more force out of it. By doing that I was better balanced at the front and have a shorter stance,” she explained of the work that she and her coach, Denis Knowles, have focused on. “Back when I was 15 or so I used to foul out the front because by stance was a metre wide but now it is about 40 to 50 centimetres. Perfecting the back, perfects the middle, which therefore makes the front very good.” And the front was very good in Berlin. Her third round throw of 62.71m moved her into third place, which she improved on to a new personal best of 64.76m in the next round to move into second place. “I gained some confidence from my 62; I was in third place and I think that excited me a little bit because I knew I had a lot more in
me. I relaxed a lot, I was smiling and having fun and unleashed a 64 and it just made me even happier and I just giggled to myself, ‘oh, I’m a 64 metre thrower!’” From there the opportunity to move one place further up, into the lead, was certainly there. Romania’s Nicoleta Grasu had the lead with her second round throw of 65.20 metres. Yet as Samuels walked into the circle for her fifth round throw, it was still the excitement of having finally sent the discus into new territory that was on her mind. “I had been waiting so long to see those numbers come up. It just made me relax even more and I was able to add another metre on to it. I was thinking technique mainly, just to relax my arms because if I tense up too much it shortens my levers, which is not very good at all for discus. Relaxing and just doing what I was doing in training that entire week, I was throwing really well relaxed because it was just me and Denis, so I was just trying to keep smooth and rhythmic,” she said. Smooth and rhythmic, yet powerful, the discus flew to 65.44m and Samuels into the lead. With the field reordered after the fifth round it became a waiting game: if her competitors could not better their previous marks, Samuels would take the title, adding it to the world youth, world junior and world university games gold medals that already sit on her mantle piece. Cuba’s Yarelis Barrios, until that point third, sent out a large throw, but it was 13 centimetres less than
Samuels’ best. Only Grasu, the 37-year-old, 3-time minor medallist at the world championships had the opportunity to no longer be the bridesmaid, but couldn’t muster it, sending her throw into the net for a foul and cementing Samuels’ victory. “I’ve accepted the fact that I’ve thrown 65 which I am thrilled about; I always knew that I could throw that far either this year or last year. I’ve got my gold medal now, so it is clear to me that I won, but the whole world champion bit is still a bit hazy. I haven’t come to grasp with that concept yet,” said Samuels. While the victory is still settling in, Samuels’ rapid ascendancy in almost textbook fashion, securing every title available to her so far except for Commonwealth and Olympic Games glory, hasn’t changed her focus, aspirations or drive. “It felt like the perfect throw at the time but there is definitely room for improvement and I’m sure I’ll be working on that next year and in the years to come leading up to London,” she said of her winning throw. “Leading up to London I hope to be throwing 70m or 69 even. I think 65 will be competitive throughout any major champs. It’s taken over 65m to win any world champs and if you look back it has taken more, sometimes 68 has won. “I’m just going to keep improving, keep working on my technique in particular and be fast and powerful and explosive and just enjoy what I do. I’m very, very looking forward to London.”