Gaute Myklebust stood in position with his right arm extended,discus in hand.
He flexed his legs and swiveled his back, mimicking the motionhe would soon employ. Suddenly, his legs joined in the effort,sending his whole body swirling through two revolutions, where atthe apex of the final pirouette he hurled the 4.4 pound disc over60 meters.
Sixty meters.
It wouldn't seem a great distance, especially to Myklebust,considering thousands of miles and an ocean separate him from hisnative Norway, but 60 meters -- 198.85 feet -- is a magical numberfor discus throwers. It's the equivalent of hitting .330 inbaseball, rushing for 1,500 yards in football or averaging 30points a game in basketball. A 60-meter throw is a standard ofexcellence, something that tells people what kind of an athlete youare.
"There are very few people in the country that can throw it thatdistance," said throwing coach Kevin Robinson. "Once you break the60 meter mark, you're close to world class."
Hammer thrower Adam Martin insists there are only four men inthe NCAA that throw discuss that far consistently.
Myklebust, a University of Memphis senior, is doing everythinghe can to become the fifth.
This summer in Oslo, Norway, Myklebust broke the 60-meterbarrier, posting a throw of 61.5 meters, or about 202 feet. Thecompetition at the event was not great, but the result wasfulfilling.
"I've had a lot of competitions with 58 or 59, but it's goodpsychologically to break that barrier," Myklebust said.
***
Just two years ago, Myklebust was nowhere near 60 meters andnowhere near Memphis.
He was attending a trade school in his homeland, training withdiscus and shot put in his spare time.
He'd been training in the shot for 12 years and discus for nine,but despite his training, talent and good results, he was onlymodestly recruited in the United States, where many top Europeanfield competitors come to train.
"I wanted to go to the U.S. and train," Myklebust said. "It'seasier to combine the studies and training. We don't haveuniversity sports back home. The (track and field) infrastructureisn't that good."
Coach Robinson, then at Southern Illinois University, heardabout Myklebust from another coach and recruited him. Myklebustaccepted.
"I'd seen results," Robinson said, "but the first time I eversaw him throw was the first time he stepped on campus."
Although a freshman in academic hours, Myklebust was labeled ajunior in athletics, but he made good use of his limitedeligibility. In the fall of 2002, he won the Missouri Valley indoorshot put title in his only semester of competition at SIU.
When Robinson came to The U of M, to coach at his alma mater,Myklebust followed in an attempt to "finish what we started," hesaid.
After sitting out one indoor and one outdoor season, Myklebuststarted his senior campaign off well. During the fall indoorseason, Myklebust shattered U of M records in discus, raising thebar with every personal best.
"I'd say he's broken (the discus record) at least five times,"Robinson said.
He also broke Robinson's school record in the shot put thisfall, an honor he's glad to relinquish.
"If anyone was going to do it, I'm glad it was him," Robinsonsaid.
Myklebust also won gold in both the shot put and discus at theConference USA championships, earning a trip to the NCAAs, where heplaced in the top 15 in both events
***
Despite his athletic accolades, Myklebust impresses his coach inother ways.
"I can't stress enough how good a person he is," Robinson said."He's just so unassuming. It's incredible. It's something else towork with a guy like that."
Myklebust also carries a 3.75 GPA in electrical engineering,earning a spot on the dean's list each semester since hisarrival.
That work ethic has transferred over into his athletics aswell.
Since coming to the United States, Myklebust has added importantdimensions to his throwing.
"When Gaute first got here, he was really strong and not reallyfast," Robinson said. "Now he's really strong, really fast andreally sound technically."
Of course, Myklebust attributes the success to his coach.
"(Robinson) helped me a lot with my speed and explosiveness,"Myklebust said.
***
So now, in his final semester as a collegiate athlete, Myklebustis ready to excel. He's stopped throwing the shot put to focusexclusively on discus.
Apparently, the switch worked. He's now broken the 60-meterbarrier, and he's consistently throwing in the high 50s. Last weekat the Mississippi State relays, he won the discus by an incredible8 meters. His throw in the finals was 59.33 meters.
But he's still nowhere near his goal.
"My goal this year is to throw 64 meters," Myklebust said,referring to the minimum Olympic distance requirement.
If he's able to do that, Robinson said Myklebust could make theNorwegian team.
"Last year, he finished runner up on the Norwegian nationalteam, but he hasn't reached the A standard (64 meters)," Robinsonsaid. "If he does, he's got a truly legitimate shot to make theteam."
Maybe 60 isn't so magical after all.
