Aths: Golden toes Anlezark is first Aussie Games shot putt champ

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Aths: Golden toes Anlezark is first Aussie Games shot putt champ

(EDS: Attention language in sixth paragraph)

By Sharon Mathieson

MANCHESTER, July 31 AAP - Justin Anlezark kept his eye on his golden toes to producethe biggest shot putt throw of his life and win a gold medal.

The 24-year-old shot putter from Toowoomba credits the novel idea of painting the toesof his shoe gold with making him Australia's first Commonwealth Games shot putt champion.

And on his way to gold he smashed the Commonwealth Games and Australian records witha throw of 20.91 metres to win convincingly from South African Janus Robberts (19.97m)and England's Carl Myerscough (19.91m).

"I said to my coach the other day, I (should) paint the toe of my shoe, because intraining I watch my shoe and my foot come around under me," Anlezark said.

"If I don't watch it, I throw crap.

"But if I watch, I throw very big and on the last one I watched it all the way andI it hit the middle and I threw the shit out of the shot."

Anlezark, whose father was a rodeo riding champion, was Australia's first Games shotputt medallist since Joseph Quigley won silver in 1986.

He said his disappointing performance at the Sydney Olympic Games, where he failedto progress past the qualifying rounds, had taught him how to deal with a big crowd andfeed off its energy.

Anlezark said he had studied his English opponents' training techniques and watchedhow they had used the 38,000-strong crowd to their advantage.

"When I went to the Olympics I was really overwhelmed by the crowd and couldn't perform,"

he said.

"So this time I wanted to make sure I used the energy off the crowd.

"The last throw was just so easy, it was just so perfect, it was one of those a dream throws.

"It was just terrific to get it out there and I had no idea it went that far, it wasjust great for me."

AAP sm/nh

KEYWORD: GAMES ATHS ANLEZARK