LJWorld.com

Photo by John Henry

Scott Russell, a former Kansas University standout, practices throwing the javelin. Russell, who was throwing Sunday outside Memorial Stadium, will compete in the Canadian Olympic Trials on Saturday.

At 6-foot-9, Scott Russell is the tallest javelin thrower in the world. But on the field, it's not his height, but his impressive throwing distance and fiery dedication that have earned him recognition.

After years of disappointments, Russell finally will have his shot at the Olympics when he travels to his hometown of Windsor, Ontario, for the Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials on Saturday.

A 2002 KU graduate, Russell was the top javelin thrower for Canada in 2000 and 2004, but he was denied an Olympic berth because his throws did not meet the Olympic standards set by the IAAF, or International Association of Athletics Federations.

This year, Russell at last scored an Olympic standard at the Kajaks International Track Classic in Richmond, British Columbia, on June 15. He needs a top-four finish at the Trials to assure a spot in the Games.

"It was crazy because I had planned to do only one meet (in British Columbia)," Russell said. "It just happened to be at the smaller second meet that I threw the standard at."

Russell's success comes on the heels of a season filled with injuries. The meniscus in his right knee had to be replaced last September, and a strained hamstring hindered him in January. In April, Russell was forced to withdraw from the Kansas Relays after only one throw because of a strained groin. Only a few weeks later, he chipped a piece of cartilage off a femur.

"I really thought my season was over," Russell said. "But I have a really great sports 'med' team that put me back together in a month. The first week I had practices without pain was the week I qualified. It blew my mind that I could even compete, but I got the standard, and that's all that matters."

Russell's career has been marked by such turnarounds. After a stellar run at KU, where he was the Big 12 Conference champion in javelin in 1999, 2001, and 2002, Russell continued to compete with mixed results. His worst year came in 2005, when his throws fell below average and he lost his funding from Canada.

"At that point, I was done for the rest of my life," Russell said. "There was no reason. I wasn't making national teams. I wasn't making money in the sport. I didn't love it anymore."

But Russell said a core group of spirited fans kept him going.

"They decided I had no reason to quit," he said. "I had one more week to get the standard for the World Championships that year, so they sponsored me for one more meet in Canada. At that last meet, I broke the national record."

Still the current record holder with a distance of 84.41 meters, Russell then regained his funding, made the World Championship team and rebuilt his confidence.

Now, three years later, armed with improved technique and a new instructor in KU track and field assistant coach Andy Kokhanovsky, Russell finally is living the dream of Olympic glory he has carried since fourth grade.

"The only reason I'm still doing the sport is to make the Olympics," said Russell. "I'm just completely blown away by the opportunity that's ahead of me."

His goal may be within reach, but with so many injuries, Russell says the biggest challenge for him will be his health.

"It isn't how strong I can get or how fast I can get, but can my body hold together?" he said. "I know that if I'm healthy going into the Olympic games, then I'm pretty much good to go."