Cremona became SA’s second best shot putter of all time
Orazio Cremona's athletics career was almost over, but he bounced back at the SA championships with the best performance of his life.
Orazio Cremona from TuksAthletics proved that perseverance does pay off last weekend when he won the shotput event at the South African Championships in Potchefstroom with a distance of 21.12 metres.
With this massive personal best Cremona ensured that he will represent South Africa at the World Championships in London. It was just reward for two years of utter frustration.
To say that Cremona was down and out after missing out representing South Africa at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio would be an understatement. He was totally devastated. He describes it as the worst moment of his sports career. For seven weeks he did absolutely nothing as he was in such a bad ‘personal space’. He did not even go to the gym once. But then the 2014 Commonwealth finalist and former African Champion realized that this is not how he wants to end his career. So he started training again.
He does not regret his decision. In Potchefstroom his first attempt of 20.80 metres was a massive personal best. It immediately made the long hours and sacrifices worthwhile. Cremona works up to seven hours and then also trains for up three to four hours a day. Often he only gets home at nine at night.
The Tuks-athlete admits that his opening “big throw” had put him under pressure.
“When I competed in the past, I had a tendency of shutting down after a big throw. That cost me a medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I thought I had bagged the bronze medal but then Tim Newdon from Canada’s shut me out with his last attempt. I finished fourth.
“With the help of my dad, who used to be a Springbok shottist, I worked hard on my competition temperament. I realise now that no competition is won or lost until the last throw is done and dusted. My thinking during the competition was that 20.80 metres is a good attempt but it can be better as I knew I was capable of throwing further. When I threw 20.98m the same thought crossed my mind. I reckoned that it won’t look good on my ‘CV’. I need to still do better. And I did,” said Cremona who arguably has put together one of the best series ever in shot put competition.
He opened with 20.80m, and then he fouled before throwing 20.11m, 20.10m, 20.98m and 21.12m. He is only the second South African athlete to go past 21 metres. The first athlete who achieved this was Janus Robberts (21.97m in 2001). Cremona’s attempt of 21.12m is the best distance in a South African competition because all of Robberts’ efforts over 21m have been achieved abroad.
Cremona has no plans to compete in Europe in the build-up to the World Championships.
“I do not want to go Europe because I always end up travelling by myself and that is not good for me. I need a coach or a training partner with me. That helps me to perform at my best. So I am going to continue training at Tuks to ensure that I perform at my best in London. I might go to Europe three weeks before the Championships and compete in one or two competitions so as to get competition fit,” he explained.
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