John Godina

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John Godina

Personal information
Born	May 31, 1972 (1972-05-31) (age 49) Fort Sill, Oklahoma, U.S.
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  United States Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Shot put 2000 Sydney Shot put World Championships 1995 Gothenburg Shot put 1997 Athens Shot put 2001 Edmonton Shot put World Indoor Championships 2001 Lisbon Shot put

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.

High school years[]

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.

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, at the time with a throw of 22.00 meters (72'2.25"). 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^[1] and he finished 8th in the 2004 Olympics in the Shot Put.^[2] He retired in 2009 after suffering through injuries at the 2008 Olympic Trials.^[1]

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. His coach Art Venegas was named to the Hall in 2011.^[3] 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).^[4]

Godina trains top international athletes like Vikas Gowda, Suzy Powell and Dan Taylor.^[5]

Achievements[]

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing the  United States
1990	World Junior Championships	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	20th (q)	Discus	40.88 m
1996	Olympic Games	Atlanta, United States	2nd	Shot put	20.79 m
1997	IAAF Grand Prix Final	Fukuoka, Japan	3rd	Discus	65.56 m
2001	World Championships	Edmonton, Canada	1st	Shot put	21.87 m
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	9th	Shot put	20.19 m

References[]

• "John Godina". USA Track & Field.

External links[]

• John Godina's U.S. Olympic Team bio
• "Welcome to The John Godina World Throws Center". World Throws Center. 2009. Archived from the original on March 29, 2009.