Blaine Newnham / Times associate editor
Olympics notebook: Minnitti must overcome challenges

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Consider the case of Rob Minnitti, and his dream to compete in the Olympic Games.

"If I could pick an Olympic Games, this is the one, in Athens, the birthplace of the Olympics, where the javelin was one of the original events," he said.

"For me, it couldn't be any better."

Or any tougher.

Minnitti graduated from South Kitsap High School in 1997, a state champion in the javelin who went to Washington, only to hurt his elbow and end up throwing three years at Boise State.

Last year he was second in the NCAA championships, and second in the national championships. For his efforts, Minnitti was ranked No. 2 among Americans at season's end by Track and Field News.

But to continue his training this year, Minnitti needed money.

"My job is training," he said. "I hired a fund-raiser for $1,000 a month, except he didn't raise any money."

Minnitti, who lives in Leschi, estimated it would cost him nearly $3,000 a month to live and train, to eat, pay his rent, his coach, and travel to meets.

"If (you) aren't on the national team, then you don't get the kinds of help others do," he said. "I'm on the outside looking in."
 
He raised enough money — he has his own Web site — to spend the past month in Germany, training and trying to recover from a shoulder injury.

For two of the weeks, his coach, Duncan Atwood, was in Germany working with him.

"Rob is getting PR results in his training," Atwood said. "Breaux Greer is easily outdistancing everyone else among Americans, but Rob has a good chance to be the next guy."

Atwood, a former UW athlete, made two Olympic teams. Unfortunately, one was in 1980, when the Americans boycotted Moscow, and the other was in 1984 when he injured himself warming up and didn't medal despite having the farthest throw heading into the Games.

Minnitti not only faces the challenge of making the three-man javelin team in the upcoming Olympic Trials in Sacramento — Track and Field News picks him to finish sixth — but he also needs to meet the Olympic A standard of 81.80 meters (268 feet, 4 inches) to be able to throw in Athens if he's not the top American. His personal best is 253-8.

"I train like a professional athlete," Minnitti said. "I'm just not paid like one."

Northwest well-stocked in rowing

The rowers have been flailing away for months trying to make the U.S. team, competing at home and abroad and in at least two sets of trials.

The Northwest will be well-represented, as usual, but the seats in the boats still aren't set.

Jennifer Devine, who rows at the Pocock Rowing Center in Seattle and attended the University of Washington, made the team in the single sculls event.

Late last week, Sarah Jones of Stanwood also made the team, earning a spot in the women's pair with Kate MacKenzie of Novi, Mich. They defeated Portia Johnson of Seattle and Liane Malcos of Massachusetts in the final trials.

Stacey Borgman of Homer, Alaska, and Lisa Schlenker of Lake Oswego, Ore., rowed their way to Athens by winning the trials in the lightweight double sculls.

A former Pocock rower, J. Sloan DuRoss, was in the boat that won the quadruple sculls race at the trials and will row in Athens.

The men's and women's eight-oared crews seem set, although final lineups won't be announced until next week.

Unless changes are made, former Huskies rowers Mary Whipple, the coxswain, and Anna Mickelson will be in the women's boat, along with Seattle's Lianne Nelson and Kate Johnson of Portland.

Matt Deakin, a former UW rower, has been in the men's eight most of the year.

More than medals

So what's it all about?

Victor Plata wants to march in the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

"While winning medals is very, very important, the Olympics symbolize more than winning medals," Plata told the New York Times.

"That's why the Opening Ceremonies is considered by many the most important moment of the Games."

Plata made the U.S. team last month, winning the third and final spot on the U.S. triathlon team. But he won't be in Athens for the Opening Ceremonies.

The U.S. triathletes will not arrive in Athens until four days after the ceremonies. They will be training in Florida instead.

Plata appealed for a chance to walk in the Opening Ceremonies but was turned down. He ranks 51st in the world in his event.

Blaine Newnham: 206-464-2364 or bnewnham@seattletimes.com