Eugene Bingham: A throw back to the past

In the pecking order of track and field, shot-putters are not normally at the top.

But tonight (NZ time), the shot-put will be thrust into the spotlight.

The competition is to be held at ancient Olympia, about four hours' drive southeast of Athens, in recognition of the Games' origins.

"It's a special place because it's got so much history and you can feel the ghosts everywhere," said Kirsten Hellier, coach of New Zealander Valerie Adams, one of 39 in the women's field and a good chance for the final 12.

Adams has been the sole New Zealand competitor living at Olympia these past days.

It was at Olympia that the Greeks gathered for sporting festivals to honour the gods more than 2500 years ago.

It was perhaps a blessing that the site was abandoned and buried, preserved from the weather and man until it was rediscovered and excavated in the 19th century.

To protect the site access has been limited and restrictions include a ban on electronic scoreboards.

"It's giving us goose bumps," said Hellier. "It's amazing to think that when Val walks through the archway at the ancient stadium where they did it all those years ago, every single pair of eyes will be on just her."

Adams told NZPA: "It's pretty spine tingling, Olympia ... wow!" The 19-year-old has never delved deeply into the history of where she is about to plant her size-13 feet. All she knows is the original competitors were naked and male.

"It'll be pretty special to be one of the first women to compete there - all I know is we obviously won't be doing it [naked] the way it was done."

American shot-putter John Godina knows more than most about Olympia. He took university classes on the ancient Olympics, and noted that there was more professionalism in antiquity.

"The amateurism push was really made by the aristocracy who set up the modern Olympics. If you won you became popular in the whole of Greece and you became rich. Mind you, if you lost, your sponsor village could pretty much kill you."

Godina was also thankful he is competing when athletes wear clothes. "Most of the fans are very thankful too. Not all of them - I'm sure there are people who for some reason would enjoy it, but there's not a lot of people with shot-putter fetishes."