Kevin Toth (USA) (© Getty Images)
Shot put world leader Kevin Toth (USA) is the latest addition to the IAAF Online Journals. Building up on Birmingham World Indoor Championships disappointment, he aims at winning no other medal than gold in Paris
My indoor season was successful, with the exception of the World Indoor Championships. (Editor: Toth finished 12th in the qualification round and thus didn’t qualify for the final). While it was embarrassing, it’s definitely not forgotten and is a motivational experience for the outdoor season.
While 74’4 ½” (22.67m) at the Kansas Relays is a good statement, it doesn’t mean anything until I do it in front of everyone in Europe at the World Championships. That is the goal! Anything but Gold will be unacceptable. Up to this point, the outdoor season has been a dream come true, but not satisfying. I’m still trying to find myself technically and when I do, it will be something special. I don’t think it will be shocking to the people within the sport. I think it will be something that has been expected for a long time.
In October 2002, I hired a new coach, Mike Mielke, the US Army Throws Coach. He came to me in October and said that I had the tools to be the best but that I needed an overhaul in my athletic ability and technical aspects. Since working with Mike, we have gotten on the same page with all the training guidelines and psychological patterns. Everything is in place. All we need is more time and practice. At the beginning we put together a plan, and the ultimate goal of that plan is to be the Olympic Champion in 2004. Everything from now until then will be a set-up for that successful day.
The indoor season was a transitional period during which Mike and I put into action all the new training fundamentals. We were working together for only two to three months and I produced the longest throw in the world of 71’2” (21.69m), which was an indoor personal best for me. We collaborated quickly enough in the process to make me the indoor national champion for the second time in my career. While I was not able to fully produce what I was capable of at the World Indoor Championships, I used it as a learning experience so that next time I will be able to overcome any unforeseen obstacles. Although the Indoor World Championship eluded me, the recent birth of my son, Kevin Michael Toth Jr, born on 21 January 2003, made the return trip to Cleveland much easier to handle because he is my Gold medal in life.
Now that I have returned to the shot put, and with the success thus far in 2002 and 2003, the birth of Kevin, the long time support of my wife Laura, the addition of my coach Mike, my sports nutrition team ZMA, and long time agent John Nubani, my goals are simple but not yet achieved. I want my son to grow up to see that dad never gave up, that he was not a quitter and that he was destined to be successful in a sport that can be both treacherous and demanding, but fun as well if you have the heart and the drive to be the best in the world.
Stay tuned, because I am not finished. I’ve just begun.
Kevin
