died on November 17, 2002 "Big Ben" at the age of 48 years in Missouri on a brain aneurysms.
The 2.01 meters wide and 138-pound athlete had a body that was created for the motor sport. First, different coaches wanted to make a football player, wrestler or a hammer thrower from him. He wanted to be discus thrower.
1976, at age 22, he threw the first time over the 60 meter mark. In 1977 he went
to San Jose in California to the "Big Men" to train - some world-class throwers and weightlifters trained there together. Together with Jim McGoldrick (then discus thrower, then 5-time world champion at the Highland Games), he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub. In a dispute with two underage boys from 7 feurten these shots of Ben, two of which hit him in the stomach - he survived but lost a whole year of training.
1979 he threw for the first time over 66 meters. At the U.S. Amateur - Championships discus legend Al Oerter him to hit when you deposit at the hip with the discus. Ben started yet in the race, after he had to be sewn with 12 stitches.
1980 he improved his personal best of 1979 two meters to 68.18 meters but could not start by boycotting the Olympics in Moscow.
was 1981 then his strongest season. With the discus he threw 72.34 meters, with the ball, he came to 20.59 meters. His discus performance was internationally recognized but never, for he was tested positive earlier this year in New Zealand on anabolic steroids. He was initially banned by the IAAF for life, then the lock was reduced to 18 months.
Curiously, though, his performance is not recognized as a world record, but is still the valid U.S. record. To 1986, then the U.S. record better than the world record.
Ben came back, and in 1983 he threw 71.32 meters - its official, internationally recognized Peak performance. 1988 Olympic Trails in he missed with 63.48 meters and 4th place narrowly qualified for Seoul. 1989 was his last season as a discus thrower.
Then he turned successfully to the Highland Games - 1993 in Aviemore with 5.58 meters, he set up a new world record in the Weight for Height.
From this litter there is a video:
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