By Joel van der Veen
PHOENIX, Ariz. — For Taryn Suttie, 17.75 was the magic number that would bring her another step closer to the Olympics.
She hit the mark and then some on April 9 at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Ariz., with a shot-put throw of 17.88 metres.
With that throw, Suttie surpassed the qualifying level for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With that achievement behind her, she said she can focus on training and executing her throws properly between now and July, when Canada’s Olympic roster is officially announced.
“I’m happy to get it out of the way quickly,” Suttie said Tuesday in a phone interview from Phoenix, Ariz. “I don’t have to have the standard on my mind, because it’s done with.”
Taryn, 25, is a native of Hanley, a graduate of Hanley Composite School and the daughter of Don and Deb Suttie.
She had previously competed as a member of the University of Saskatchewan’s track and field team, and has since spent several years training in British Columbia.
In October, she relocated to Columbus, Ohio, where she trained with her coach Justin Rodhe.
Suttie then arrived in Phoenix in mid-March, competing in a couple of events and maintaining a regular training schedule.
Prior to last weekend, her personal best had been 17.66 metres, though she had surpassed that in practice and had achieved an 18-metre throw once.
“I knew I was capable of it,” she said. “I just had to do it at the right time and the right place.”
The Canadian national track and field championships and Olympic trials will be held the second weekend of July in Edmonton, at which point Suttie will learn whether or not she’ll be competing in Rio.
She said she will be working hard on improving the technical aspects of her throwing, as well as spending time in the weight room to improve her speed and power.
“I’ll do some meets to stay fresh,” said Suttie, who travelled to California on Thursday. She was scheduled to compete in two events there in April, before heading to Victoria, B.C., in May.
Suttie continues to feel the support and encouragement of her former neighbours, saying, “All of Hanley has been so supportive . . . I’m definitely proud to come from there.”
Much of her schedule between now and July is undetermined, she said, adding that she keeps her suitcase packed and is constantly booking flights as events come up.
“As long as I have a place to train,” she said, “then I’m good to go.”