John Godina

{{Infobox sportsperson

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| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|May 31, 1972}}

| birth_place = Fort Sill, Oklahoma, U.S.

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John Carl Godina (born May 31, 1972) is an American shot putter, whose record includes three World Championship wins and two Olympic medals. He also competes in discus. Godina was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Early life

While attending Cheyenne Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Godina was a letterman in football and outdoor track and field. He was an All-State honoree, and an All-American in both sports. His collegiate personal bests in shot put and discus were {{convert|63|ft}} and {{convert|210|ft|4|in|m|abbr=on|sp=us}}, respectively.{{Cite web|url=http://office.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/90_Winter_JohnGodina.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240606023202/http://office.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/90_Winter_JohnGodina.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=2024-06-06|title = John Godina BFS H.S.}}

College years and Olympic Games

At college level, competing for UCLA, he won three outdoor NCAA championship victories, two in discus and one in shot put. His 1995 NCAA Outdoor shot put title was a national record with a throw of {{convert|22.00|m|ftin|sp=us}}. In 1995, he won his first World Championship title in shot put, adding additional titles in 1997, and 2001. In the same discipline, he finished second in the 1996 Olympics and third in the 2000 Olympics. He also qualified to those same Olympics in the Discus, the first American to qualify in both since Bud Houser in 1924{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/wire?section=oly&id=3938217|title = Two-time Olympic medalist John Godina retires}} and he finished 8th in the 2004 Olympics in the Shot Put.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/john-godina-1.html |title=John Godina Bio, Stats, and Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com |access-date=2013-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922085201/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/go/john-godina-1.html |archive-date=September 22, 2013 }} He retired in 2009 after suffering through injuries at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Godina is one of the most decorated shot putters in U.S. athletics history. His legacy compares well with Parry O'Brien, who won two Olympic gold medals (1952, 1956) and one silver medal (1960), placed fourth in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, and broke the world record 17 times.

Godina was named to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 2010.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtsacrelays.com/fame.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070430160557/http://www.mtsacrelays.com/fame.html |archive-date=April 30, 2007 |title=Mt. SAC Relays - Hall of Fame}} He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

World Throws Center

John has a throwing academy in five different locations, two in California (Sacramento and San Ramon). The other three are located in Arizona (Phoenix, Mesa and Glendale).{{Cite web |title=World Throws Center Locations |publisher=World Throws Center |url=http://worldthrowscenter.com/?page_id=2769}}

Godina trains top international athletes like Vikas Gowda, Suzy Powell and Dan Taylor.{{cite web |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Archive-Bios/Dan-Taylor.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220080522/http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Archive-Bios/Dan-Taylor.aspx |archive-date=December 20, 2019 |title=USA Track & Field - Dan Taylor}}

Achievements

{{AchievementTable\|width=auto\|Event=yes}}
colspan="6" \| Representing the {{USA}}
1990 \|World Junior Championships \|Plovdiv, Bulgaria \|20th (q) \|Discus \|40.88 m
1996 \| Olympic Games \| Atlanta, United States \| bgcolor="silver" \| 2nd \|Shot put \| 20.79 m
1997 \| IAAF Grand Prix Final \| Fukuoka, Japan \| bgcolor="cc9966" \| 3rd \|Discus \| 65.56 m
2000 \| Olympic Games \| Sydney, Australia \| bgcolor="cc9966" \| 3rd \|Shot put \| 21.20 m
2001 \| World Championships \| Edmonton, Canada \| bgcolor="gold" \| 1st \|Shot put \| 21.87 m
2004 \| Olympic Games \| Athens, Greece \| 8th \|Shot put \| 20.19 m

colspan="6" | Representing the {{USA}}

1990

|World Junior Championships

|Plovdiv, Bulgaria

|20th (q)

|Discus

|40.88 m

1996

| Olympic Games

| Atlanta, United States

| bgcolor="silver" | 2nd

|Shot put

| 20.79 m

1997

| IAAF Grand Prix Final

| Fukuoka, Japan

| bgcolor="cc9966" | 3rd

|Discus

| 65.56 m

2000

| Olympic Games

| Sydney, Australia

| bgcolor="cc9966" | 3rd

|Shot put

| 21.20 m

2001

| World Championships

| Edmonton, Canada

| bgcolor="gold" | 1st

|Shot put

| 21.87 m

2004

| Olympic Games

| Athens, Greece

| 8th

|Shot put

| 20.19 m

References

{{Cite web |title=John Godina |publisher=USA Track & Field |url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/TrackAndFieldArchive/2008/Godina_John.asp}}

External links

{{USATF}}
{{Olympedia}}
{{Olympics.com|john-godina}}
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050320001053/http://www.usolympicteam.com/26_1298.htm |date=mdy |title=John Godina at U.S. Olympic Team}}
{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329150036/http://worldthrowscenter.com/ |date=mdy |title=John Godina World Throws Center}}

{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's shot put}}

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:American male discus throwers

Category:American male shot putters

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field

Category:People from Fort Sill, Oklahoma

Category:Sportspeople from Cheyenne, Wyoming