Kultan Keihas Javelin Clinic

by Christopher Hunt

He said it was like the difference between learning how to work on cars from reading a book and a kid who grew up with dirty fingernails and became a mechanic because his father was a mechanic.

That is how Americans are learning the javelin, like the kid with the book, so says Jeff Gorski, a former USATF Javelin development chairman, who also hosts javelin clinic each year at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. And it's the principle reason that the United States is being left behind in one of the world's oldest athletics events.

"Imagine trying to learn how to do the waltz by reading a book," Gorski said. "That's what a lot of these kids are trying to do. There's not a lot of people that understand the soul of throwing the javelin."

The NSSF has announced plans to host Project Klutan Keihas, an elite javelin clinic. NSSF will take six of the country's best junior javelin throwers to Gorski's "Field of Dreams," for three development sessions aimed at training athletes to compete on the world's stage. The sessions will be held October 21-23 and December 27-30 at the Field of Dreams, the home of Gorski's Klub Kehias in Chapel Hill, N.C. In the first session athletes will work with Gorski, 1972 Olympic javelin bronze medalist, Bill Schmidt, and learn techniques from world-renowed Finnish national coach Kari Ihalainen, who Gorski explained is to the javelin what Mike Krzyzewki is to Duke basketball. Ihalainen also coached American record holder Breaux Greer. The Field of Dreams also has an indoor training facility and Gorski said he is working with local colleges in case there is a need for indoor training space.

In the third session, Gorski and NSSF co-founder Jim Spier hope to bring the athletes to Finland for a week at the IAAF-certified national training center in Kuortane next summer.

Oregon's Haley Crouser and Christine Streisel of Pennsylvania, the top two youth throwers in the country last year have both committed as well as Kyle Felpel of Cocalico, (Pa.) who was ninth at NBON in the shot put, discus and javelin. Crouser is coached by her father, three-time NCAA champion thrower Dean Crouser and her brother, Sam, broke the high school national javelin record in 2010.

"There's plenty of talent in this country," Gorski said.

For Gorski the camp is a dream realized. Gorski threw the javelin at the University of North Carolina before he coached at Chapel Hill from 1982-90. Gorski said the biggest issue with producing results in the javelin is that how technical the throwing event is. With just 17 states in the country that contest the javelin as a high school event, there simply isn't the expertise available. Gorski has always wanted to implement a development program that allows athletes to immerse themselves in the intricacies of the event in a way they likely would not be able to on their high school team similar to what he has done with Klub Keihas.

"I've tried to do something like that on my own and do it with private money," he said. "Lo and behold, Jim Spier calls me like Santa Claus. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning."

Here are the numbers: The world leader among junior men is Sirmais Zigismunds of Latvia, at 277 feet, 10 inches. Latvia also leads the women's world junior list with Lina Muze at 198-11. Sean Keller tops the US junior men at 232-1 and Avione Allgood leads the women's list at 176-8. Crouser's best of 173 leading the U.S. youth girls list and is ranked seventh in U.S. history.

"It's a very technical event and like the pole vault, it requires a very specialized coach," Spier said. "An average high school coach has his hands full coaching all the different events anyway. The field events always get short drift. The javelin, triple jump and pole vault are all very similar that way."

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