Scott Martin 

Great throw last night Scott, 21+ m.and new Aussie record. I love your right leg drive across the circle. When you time that right the shot will go. Exciting times ahead for sure. Hoffa's 21.90 at Worlds in 2007 was as good as has been in last 10yrs, so crib, pinch, edge a bit more and .....a threat in Beijing ? Russell Hodder, coach of Mat Cowie in Perth.

Congratulations on your Australian Record performance yesterday Scott, wow what a throw. It's been great watching your progress over the years & it's great for Aussie Throwing. The Anlezark family wish you all the best for the future. Good luck at the Olympics - give them heaps. All the best - Lyndon Anlezark

Thanks for all the well wishes. I am now back in Australia training hard and trying to get over my foot injury in time for the Australian season.

Peter, in reply to your comments about Australia's disappointing results in Osaka I was also disappointed to see this as team captain. I think the current Australian team has so much talent and ability and we set a high standard on the European tour last year when we had something like 10 athletes inside the world top 10.

Unfortunately, I was one of those athletes that was in this years world top 10 (8th) and did not make the final in Osaka. I think a lot of athletes like me did not have the preparation they wanted leading into the championships. Athletics is a really competitive world sport. The World Championships is the highest level. If any athlete goes into the World Championships even 2% under their best form that can be the difference between a top 6 finish and not making the final.

I guess I am disappointed in the Australian effort and my own effort because we are much better than the performance in Osaka. It is up to us now to go to Beijing with no excuses and perform as good as I believe we can.

Paul, thanks for the congrats and I look forward to getting over to Adelaide again in the 2008 season. Hopefully they can start a National Series meet over there and include discus or shot.

Scott Martin

Scott, As captain of our team, you must feel very disappointed about our results? We are ranked 22 in the world. As a keen follower,I found it so frustrating to watch the SBS coverage. Night after night, no Australians in any of the finals. One notabled exception. Your comments.

G'day Scott, Congrats on ya appointment as team captain... I hope the foot recovers soon! I enjoyed throwing with you guys early this year in SA. I think it is very benificial for me personally to throw with able body athletes (State/ Nationally)! I get heaps out of the experience and it gives me plenty to chase and improve personally as a Elite Athlete with disability. Cheers mate you are doing really well and I look forward to following your future... recover well!

Hi Scott, Well done on getting to the Worlds and performing so well after an injury. Best wishes for your preparation for Olympics and we hope it all goes to plan for you there. Phil

Well on day 1 of the world champs in the men's shot put qualification I finished 14th with 19.81m - 11cm outside the top 12 who progress to the final. Although 19.81m is down on my average throw I am really happy and proud of my performance. I have had a really bad five weeks of preparation with my foot injury where it has been impossible to train at the standard I needed. I left everything I had out there on the competition field and unfortunately I just did not have enough throws under my belt to get another 11cm and get up into the top 12.

It has been a rollercoaster year for me. I have spent most of the year injured and in some ways have also had my best competition season with two PBs in the shot put and taking some good scalps in Europe.

In March when I first had the surgery on my foot it was impossible to tell if I would even make it back into the Australian team. I really want to thank people like Dr Tim Barbour, Yohan Amerasakera (physio), Mark Blackney (surgeon), Andrew Lambart (physio), VIS, my family, girlfriend Seona and coach Gus Puopolo for getting me back into good shape for worlds. It is a real credit to those guys that I was able to come back and produce a PB only four-and-a-half months post surgery.

I want to thank my sponsors nab, Telstra and Max's Protein for their continuous support. I would also like to thank the Australian Sports Commission for their help.

Now that I know I can compete well at a major it is important to get fit, healthy and injury free for Beijing. I feel I just need to get my body into 21m shape now and I can do some damage in the Olympic final.

Scott Martin

Hiya Scotty, mums been keeping me updated on the success you've been having since I left Australia. Good on you man, I wish you all the best in life, in sport and in the future. Your a great man Scott and I'm proud to be talking you up here in Scotland. All the best Alisa x

Hey Scotty, mate we're all thinking of you here in Wodonga, do us proud. I know you will, so from everyone at Wodonga track club, current & ex-member's, Go Scotty Martin. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.

Hi Scott, Congratulations on being named Captain of the Australian team, what an honour! Cannot wait until tomorrow, we will be watching out for you on the TV tomorrow night. Good luck from Scott

Scotty! Best of lucky buddy! I remember the days you and I use to go head to head in the shot-put and discus. I have now found my pet event with the 400m now so I think we will be competing against one-another much less. In order to bring home a medal you need some sort of inspriration and I have just the ingredients. Below is a link of a video of you, Chrisitan Cantwell and I competing head to head once more at Box Hill. I think I shot 33cm further then you that day? I hope the foot recovers quickly. Try not to think about it once your out. Much love from St Stephens Harriers and the rest of Athletics Australia you super-star. Cam =) http://youtube.com/watch?v=ag4V8lcozAA

Hi Scott, My name is also Scott and I love discus and shotput. I attend Lavington Jindera Little Aths and have represented them at the State Championships and came 8th in discus. My goal is to be like you and represent the Aussies in the Commonwealth games and the Olympics. I would also like to meet you one day. Good Luck in Osaka. Scott

Hi Scott Just wishing you well for the World Champs and hope you go well. I wish we could be there to cheer you and the aussies on but will never forget the thrills of Melbourne and one of the best moments was cheering you on with 86,000 other fans at the MCG to win and afterwards when you won gold on the last put. I never thought I would see or hear 86,000 cheer at a shop put comp. You must be happy to know you are so supported. Best wishes to you and all the team. Message from Perth athletic fans.

I arrived in Osaka yesterday on the 16th of August and am now in a training camp in Kochi. I have nine days until the men’s shot put qualifying and final (same day).

I flew into Osaka from Frankfurt. I have been training in Germany for the last four weeks and have had some very promising results. My first three big competitions I finished in:

4th 20.50m    Madrid IAAF GP - 21st July
2nd 20.06m    Tallin IAAF Permit - 22nd July
1st 20.14m    Rakvere Estonian Grand Prix - 24th July

Unfortunately, I slightly re-injured my foot in Rakvere on my second throw and had to withdraw from the competition. I have been recovering really well since Rakvere and competed in a small Finnish competition on the 12th. I finished with only 19.28m but I did not allow myself to throw more than 90% because I did not want to risk my foot.

This competition shows that I am in good form and now I just need to focus on the 25th.

Things are feeling good for World Championships now and I am ready to compete on the big stage.

And by the way, Matt, it is unfortunate that I need to ruin such a good story but I have never practised ballet in my life. Hahaha! Ironically the injury to my plantar plate (which I needed surgery for) is commonly found amongst ballet dancers. I found that pretty comical when I was first told.

So they must have some things in common.

I think for a beginning thrower, ballet lessons would help a lot. Throwing is seen to be about strength and size but a lot of it is balance, timing and technique. Ballet would help teach anyone good balance which is really an essential part of throwing and any sport really.

hey, i just wanted to know, for the commonwealth games you were in the nab adds doing ballet, do you actually do ballet or was that just for the add? And if so does it actually help? matt

After being 4 months recovering from my foot surgery I am finally going to have my first competition back on the 7th of July at Runaway Bay in the Americans Down Under competition.

The competition is going to be more special than most as I will be competing against Manchester Commonwealth Games champion Justin Anlezark. Justin just had his first throw for 2 years last week still recovering from finger surgery and he bettered the B Qualifier for World Champs by producing a throw of 19.74m. Although neither he or I will be even close to full fitness I am hoping this is going to be the start of a great rivalry that I hope will land both of us in the Olympic Final and contesting medals in 2008. This competition for me is a yardstick to see where I am at and I will be happy with anything over the B standard 19.70m. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the results of the post surgery shot putters competition on Saturday.

After the competition on Saturday I am going to train in Queensland for one week before traveling to Europe. My first 3 competition in Europe will be Sheffield 15th July, Tallin 22nd July, and Kaunas 25th July. All of these competitions will be shot put only. I will decide when I will do my first discus competition depending on my training form in Europe.

Scott Martin

hey Scott, you're so cool:-)

That's good news Scott. Have a great time on the tour. Throw far. Luke

Welcome to my blog everyone. This is an update on my recovery from injury and looking to the future for 2007.

It has been 14 weeks since I had surgery on my plantar plate in my left foot and I am nearly back to 100% training. From the limited throwing I have done I am very confident I will be fully fit for Osaka and my current training distances indicate that I have not lost much form or conditioning.

So unless I have any more hiccups leading into August thinks are looking good for me to be solid over 20m. My current plan for competitions leading into Osaka will depend a fair bit on my form but hopefully I will start in Sheffield Sun 15 Jul Norwich Union British Grand Prix and then I hope to do Madrid (WAT) 21 Jul, Tallinn 2007 Sun 22 Jul and Norwich Union Super Grand Prix Fri 3 Aug London.

I will be doing a few other assorted competitions that I will decide when I arrive in Europe.

Feel free to post comments, questions or just say hi and I will respond when I can.

hey scott, you got any more comps before osaka? matt

Hey Scott, hows the foot going mate?