World No1 Reese Hoffa lived up to his billing tonight when he took the Men’s Shot Put Final by the scruff of its neck and shook it until a gold medal dropped out.

The former wrestler had to grapple with his teammate and training partner Adam Nelson but the stocky head-banded 29-year-old was more than strong enough for the challenge, producing five puts of 21.50m or more to bring the United States its sixth world shot put title in the 11 editions of the IAAF World Championships.

Hoffa won the competition with a best of 22.04 in round three, so adding the world outdoor crown to the indoor title he took in 2006. But so dominant was his performance that four of his five valid throws would also have brought him victory.

Despite losing his title, Nelson’s second place came thanks to his best of the year, 21.61m, and maintains his record of having won medals at every global outdoor championships since 2000.

The bronze went to Belarussia’s European champion Andrei Mikhnevich, who also produced his best form of the year when it mattered most. The 2003 world champion threw 21.27m in round two, but in truth no-one else was ever in the hunt.

Hoffa opened his account with a put of 21.81m, a distance only himself and fellow American Christian Cantwell have beaten this year – and Cantwell wasn’t in the field. It could have been all over there and then, but Nelson wasn’t going to let his title slip away easily. The 32-year-old signalled his intentions as he equalled his season’s best with 21.47m. The competition was already turning into a hot, personal rivalry.

And Nelson made it hotter still in the second round as he crept closer to Hoffa with 21.61m, although Hoffa maintained his great form to keep the pressure on with 21.64m.

Rutger Smith of the Netherlands and Mikhnevich also breached 21 metres with their second efforts. Mikhnevich – wearing red and white stripey calf length socks – moved into third with 21.27m, his best of the year, while the giant Dutchman, the leading qualifier for tonight’s final, threw 21.13m to shift into fourth.

Hoffa peppered the 22-metre line again in the third round and was rewarded with an improvement to 22.04m, while Nelson fouled. It was to be his winning put, the furthest winning put since Switzerland’s Werner Gunthor won with 22.23m in Rome back in 1987.

But while the two Americans were tussling for the main prize, the Olympic silver medallist Joachim Olsen went out, failing to register a legitiimate throw. Seventh two years ago, the World Champinonships are clearly not to the Dane’s liking. He also qualified for the final in 2003 but was then unable to compete because of an injured hand.

Much of the second half the competition was a let down as the major positions remained the same. The two principals both deliberately fouled in round four, and Nelson did again in five, although Hoffa again fell fractionally short of the 22m line at 21.92m.
 
Nelson went into prowling mode before the final round, wandering around the throwers’ area with a white towel wrapped around his neck. He knew it was now or never. But Hoffa too, was keeping his focus. He knew that Nelson has a habit of snatching victory from his grasp in the final stages – he almost did it at the London Grand Prix this year before Hoffa produced his mammoth 22.43m.

As he had done all night, Nelson walked to the centre of the arc and implored the crowd to clap as he prepared to throw. It’s worked before, but this time Nelson fell short and had to settle for the silver.

With the gold in his pocket and first major outdoor title to his name, Hoffa finished with 21.58m. It was his night. He then walked up to every official and shook their hands, bowing his head as he did, before greeting the crowd. No doubt he would have hobbled off on a somewhat laboured lap of honour, juggling shots (one of his favoured past-times, we’re told) had the women’s 10,000m final not just begun.

Osaka 2007 News Team/mkb