2008 Shot Put World Champion Chris Cantwell to Compete at Kansas Relays

April 7, 2008

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />LAWRENCE, Kan. – Chris Cantwell, the 2008 Indoor World Champion in the shot put, will compete at the 81st Annual Kansas Relays April 16-19 at Memorial Stadium. Soon after the Relays, Cantwell will head to Beijing to compete for Team USA at the Olympic Games in August. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

The two-time World Indoor Champion (2004, 2008), three-time U.S. Indoor Champion (2004, 2007, and 2008) and 2005 U.S. Outdoor Champion holds the Kansas Relays meet record in the Invitational shot put. His toss of 21.43 meters (70 feet, three and ¾ inches) won him the title in the event in 2006. Cantwell also won the Kansas Relays shot put last year and won the invitational event in 2002 as a member of the University of Missouri track and field team.

The Eldon, Mo., native won the 2007 USATF Indoor VISA Championship Series and boasts the eighth-best toss in the history of the men’s outdoor shot put. That throw of 22.54 meters (73-11 ¼ ft.) was the longest in the world in 2004. Cantwell’s indoor toss of 21.95 meters (72-00 ¼ ft.) at the 2004 Missouri All-Comers stands as the world’s furthest since 2000.

Cantwell was a seven-time All-American, six-time Big 12 champion and 17-time All-Big 12 honoree with the Missouri Tigers.

The Kansas Relays begin Wednesday, April 16 and finish Saturday, April 19. Cantwell is expected to compete in the shot put competition on Saturday, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Admission into the meet will be allowed only by those people wearing a 2008 Kansas Relays button. Buttons cost $10 for adults and are good for admission for all four days of the Kansas Relays. Children under the age of five and KU students are free. A 30% group discount will be applied to all orders of 20 or more adult Kansas Relays admission buttons. Discount buttons for Senior Citizens and all students with a valid ID are $5. A Kansas Relays Family Pack consisting of two adult and two student admissions will be offered for just $20.

Contact the Kansas Athletics ticket office at 800-34-HAWKS (2957) or http://kuathletics.collegesports.com/tickets/kan-tickets.html to purchase admission buttons.