Aug. 9, 2013
Nittany Lions at World Champs - Schedule
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Coming off of his first-career victory at the USATF Outdoor Championships, Nittany Lion volunteer assistant Ryan Whiting is set to compete at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia, later this month, with gold-medal hopes on his shoulders. An Olympic finalist in 2012, Whiting enters the competition is the world's number-one ranked shot putter, standing nearly two feet ahead of his competition.
"I have one goal this year, and that's to win," said Whiting just prior to departing for Moscow. "I'm going to have my first real taper and peak in Moscow, so it should be fun."
Already a World Champion having taken top honors at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Whiting stands as the current favorite for the 2013 crown, coming into the meet with the top four performances in the world this year, including a lifetime-best 73-1.25 (22.28) in Doha, Qatar in May. The second-closest competitor in the 2013 standings is compatriot Reese Hoffa, who posted a toss of 71-2.75 (21.71). The road to the top won't be an easy one, however, with reigning World Champion David Storl of Germany in the field, as well as two-time Olympic Champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland.
"I think Reese and I both have a pretty good chance of medaling, or making it pretty far, but obviously my goal is to win," continued Whiting on competing alongside his U.S. teammates.
Whiting has had an outstanding season thus far, capped by a victory at the USATF Championships in June. Whiting also added victories at the Doha Diamond League, as well as the Drake Relays in 2013. The World Championships will be Whiting's first competition, since appearing at the Birmingham Diamond League in late June.
"I've had four weeks of really heavy lifting, so my body was kind of shot," said Whiting on his training over the past several weeks. "I'm coming out of that now, so I can feel some big throws coming."
The competition will mark Whiting's second-straight appearance at the World Championships, having finished seventh in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.
A six-time NCAA Champion while at Arizona State, Whiting owns the top three performances ever posted by a collegian indoors, including the current-standing collegiate record of 71-3.50 (21.73), which he achieved in 2008. He finished his Sun Devil career as the No. 2 ranked NCAA competitor outdoors, with a best of 72-1 (21.97).
Whiting won't be the only competitor with Penn State ties, as he'll join former Nittany Lions Shana Cox and Aleesha Barber in Moscow. Cox will represent Great Britain in the 4x400-meter relay, while Barber is set to compete in the 100-meter hurdles for Trinidad and Tobago. Whiting will also have a familiar face in the stands in Director and Head Coach of Nittany Lion Track and Field/Cross Country Beth Alford-Sullivan, who is serving as the Head Women's Coach for Team USA.
The shot put competition begins on Thursday, August 15, with the qualifying round. The final is set to be contested on Friday, August 16.
For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com.