On the day I set the world shot-put record, I think I punched a hole in the sky.
I wanted an entrance into Valhalla, at least in my mind, and launched the shot as far as I could. I was seething with power that day. I knew I could do it, commanded myself to do it.
There were others at the International Track Association meet that day in El Paso who were trying to be super-human and set world records. My friend Steve Smith was trying to reach a 19 foot -1 inch pole vault, along with Bob Seagren and Buddy Williamson. Warren Edmundson ran the 100 yard dash in 9.1 seconds, tying Bob Hayes record. John Smith ran a 45 second 440-yard dash, which was a world record. It was an amazing day for track and field history and while we did it for the glory and because we loved it, we also got paid.
It was a day of signs, portents and desires, a full moon, I remember. When I walked off the field, I felt like Hercules. An illusion of grandeur, I know, but give me an illusion like that anytime. But at the end of the day, the Olympian gods were not happy and they gave us a small reminder that we were mere mortals and had overstepped our boundaries.
It was Mother’s Day, May 10, 1975, and I was up at 5:30 a.m. I didn’t sleep much. I got up and walked to a convenience store and started eating Hostess Suzie-Q’s, and Cupcakes, and drinking chocolate milk. It doesn’t sound like a menu for a world record performance, but it worked for me that day.
Besides, it was all that was available in El Paso, Texas at sunrise within walking distance. At least that’s the excuse I used. I always ate sweet stuff in the morning, but you would think on a day that important, one of the most important days in my life, really, that I would have eaten a breakfast worthy of a champion. Bacon and eggs, oatmeal, fruit. Maybe even Wheaties topped with alfalfa sprouts.
No. Junk food it was, except for the chocolate milk, one of the basic food groups. It didn’t matter. I was feeding my mental and physical energy reserves. I would burn all those junk calories off by sundown. It was one of those days where you know you are on the verge of a great leap forward, to borrow a phrase from Chairman Mao. My leap would be from the thrower’s circle and I was going to make some headlines.
I tried calling my mother several times from the convenience store payphone, but she didn’t answer. So I called my sister, Joan. I told her they could watch me on television that day and see me set a world record. Joan scoffed.
“You don’t know you’re going to do that,” she said.
“I never lied to you before,” I answered. “Just believe me. Just tell mom to watch Wide World of Sports.”
We hung up. I was going to turn 30 the next month, a fully grown adult male, but I was still at play in the fields of the lord of the flies, where you lived to defeat not only your enemies, but your friends, too. “Lord of the Flies” was one of my favorite books, by the way, an exploration of the nature of the beast that dwells within.
The meet was going to be televised on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” because we had the best runners, jumpers and throwers in the world. I was one of them. As a matter of fact I became a marquee name for the ITA, and my on-going war with Randy Matson for throwing supremacy in the shot-put became a major attraction.
Matson had won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and the silver in 1964 in Tokyo at the age of 19. So he was a superstar in throwing. But I had beaten him to get a spot on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team and from then on, we had an on-going cold war. In my mind, I was the U.S., wild, free and fun-loving, and he was Siberia: cold, draconian and fun-less. Don’t get me wrong. Matson is a nice guy and we were on friendly terms, but we were polar opposites.
Even though my teammates and I were famous in athletic circles worldwide, we were shoestring professional athletes, meaning we didn’t make much money, and our meet was going to be held at Bowie High School stadium. This indicates the level of our operating budget. If it would have been any lower, we would have held the meet on the other side of the Rio Grande.
I didn’t know it that morning, but my arch-enemy Matson would come to my aid later that day, albeit grudgingly. I don‘t know if I ever stopped to thank him. I’ll talk more about that next time when I divulge one of my secret training strategies that helped me visualize setting the world record.
Great stuff, Brian. Always good to hear your views and experiences…. still teaching many things i learned from you!
Can’t wait to see the next entry.
Great read! Look forward to the next entry.
Great words from one of the truly great athletes of all time!
I’m glad you’re finally doing this… I’m anxiously awaiting the book! You’re still Numero Uno! Hope you’re doing well..
A great story of triumph with unique individuality and perspective as told by the master himself. I’m also looking forward to the next entry.
You blog is a godsend. I remember the decades were the lates 60s and 70s and I was growing up in the Fresno area attending every shotputt competiton at all the Fresno West Coast Relays. I didn’t care about anything else!
It was then that at 5’7″ and 160 lbs that I decided I wanted to be the best llb. for lb. shotputter at my high school. I ended up putting the 12 lb shot to almost 52 feet in a track meet.
I don’t know if that qualified me for anything but I had the personal satisfaction of breaking the 50 foot barrier which for me was told not possible for my size. Until I read about a fellow high school guy at my alma mater named Atomic Torosian who was only about 5’11″ and put the shot an incredible 58′ in high school! He also played for Fresno State and broke all the 100 and 220 yard dash records for the Aremenian Olympics back in the 60s and 70s in the Fresno area.
My coach was a great person by the name of Coach John Parks, a discus thrower out of UCLA. My high school was Sanger High near Fresno with our legendary track Coach Dave Dodson.
I’m now 53 years old and tell my office mates that shotput is the purest of sports. It is you, the shot, the ring, your competitors, the comraderies of your competitors, and the lines of chalk ahead of you as your peer into the distance at your goal. Amen.
This is a great article for all high school and college weightmen to read with Brian Oldfield, Randy Matson, Mac Wilkins and Al Fuerbach that come to mind. The shotputting and discus throwing community is generally a pretty tight knit group. It is sometimes a lonely sport but always an interesting mix of athletes that are always striving to push their physical limits to the max and constantly looking to improve on their personal bests. I personally competed in High School, Jr.College and College in both field events and can say I met some incredible Strongmen along the way that exemplify the true meaning of explosive power , balance and dedication to the sport. My personal best in the high school 12lbs shot was 58 feet considering I was 17 yrs old and stood 5’9″ and weighed 165lbs. at the time I was better suited to be running the mile or 100yd dash. I also threw the discus 173’6″. I wished I would have had one more year of high school as the next year at 18 years of age I grew up to 5’11″ and weighed 185lbs..and threw the 12lbs. shot 64 feet and the discus 195 feet but unfortunately had to move up to the heavier implements in Jr. College. The coaches that Felix Lopez mentioned in the previous article , David Dotson and Dave Parks from Sanger High School were simply the best people to nurture young athletes in sportsmanship and in life. The Oldfield Spin….keep it coming, Atomic Torosian
To: Atomic Torosian, Hey thanks for the reply. I work and live in the Bay Area.
I never met you because I arrived at Sanger High Schoolol later. But for us shot-putters at Sanger High School and surrounding high schools we heard all about you – 58 feet was unheard of at that time in our vicinity. We could not believe that you hit the 58 Foot mark. So you were a good motivating factor for us other guys. Just like we could not believe that Brian Oldfield hit 75 feet!
Sanger High School went on to produce some of the best “pound for pound” shotputers in the San Joaquin Valley.
Yep – Coach Dodson and Parks were the best.
@ Atomic and Felix – It is amazing that I stumbled upon this article and your responses. I’m currently the Throws coach at Sanger High. We just finished our league meet yesterday and the Boys took 1st place for the third year in a row. I have a strong group of about 18 throwers. It was good to hear your recollections of throwing. BTW, Dave Dodson is still the head coach and indeed legendary.
Wayne Richardson