Jacko Gill - Olympian In The Making

New Zealand athlete Jacko Gill has made another enormous stride in his burgeoning shot put career by smashing the world under-18 record.

Competing at the national secondary school championships in Hastings, Gill threw the shot 23.86m, eclipsing the previous mark by 68cm.

The relatively-lightly built Gill was quick to credit coach Didier Poppe for the achievement and restated his desire to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics, when he would be just 18.

"If I want it enough, I can do anything. I really do want it so I think anything's possible," he told One News.

"I'm going to try to get to London and hopefully medal or get in the top eight there."

The Takapuna Grammar student made international headlines this year when he became the youngest ever male junior world champion, with victory at Moncton, Canada courtesy of a 22.53m throw. The previous youngest was Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt.

Poppe was stunned by Gill's achievement this weekend.

"We have never seen the like. Nobody in the world has ever seen something like that and everybody's starting to look at Jacko like he's coming from another planet," he said.

Source: Stuff.co.nz (NZPA) 12 December 2010

World junior shot put champion Jacko Gill eclipsed the world record for a 17 year old with the 5kg shot put at the New Zealand Secondary Schools athletic championships in Hastings on Saturday.

The 15 year old sent the shot out to 23.86m to add 63 centimetres to the previous best by for 17 year old set by Krzysztof Brzozowski of Poland, in beating
Gill at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.

Gill, competing for Takapuna Grammar School, now holds the world record in both the 5kg and 6kg shot for every age from 14 to 17.

Gill said that he knew the record was there after throwing 22 metres consistently in training.

“There is still a lot more left,” he said.

Source: Athletics New Zealand Press Release 13 December 2010







Photos show Jacko Gill 9 months ago in typical record breaking form at the North Island Secondary Schools Track & Field Champs demolishing the previous Intermendiate Boys Shotput record of 17.71 metres with a final throw of 20.85 metres.