TOKYO, Japan – Rimersburg’s Evie Bliss finally finished her javelin season last weekend.
In Tokyo, Japan, that is.
That alone should sum up a run that actually started with what she termed a disappointing finish at the NCAA Championships in June. However, ending her busy post-college run at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo couldn’t have been better.
After winning the women’s javelin title at the USA Championships in Oregon in July and clinching her trip to Worlds after winning the North America Central America Championships in The Bahamas, Bliss earned the 35th seed out of 36 throwers who qualified for this year’s championships.
Bliss, who turned 20 in June, was the youngest thrower in the event after China’s 17-year-old Yan Ziyi, ranked 12th in the world, declined to participate.
Last Friday in the preliminary round, Bliss went 58.88, 56.51 and 55.94 meters and wound up 19th overall after two flights of 18 throwers finished. The top 12 overall throwers advanced to Saturday’s finals which didn’t carry over qualification throws and used the familiar three-and-three preliminary/final set up.
Those throws in feet were 193 feet, 2 inches, 185-4 and 183-6. Her best throw in Japan was her second-best throw of her career, second only to her 199-6 (60.81) thrown at the World University Games in July in Germany and the other two that were her 12th and 13th career throws over 180 feet. Of those 13, all but one have come since May.
“Each time I get to put on the Red, White and Blue, it is always such an intense moment,” said Bliss in a Bucknell University release. “It becomes being part of something bigger than myself and I am honored each and every time I get to wear the colors.”
It was fairly certain Bliss would need to throw at least a personal-best to have a chance to advance to the 12-thrower finals. As it turned out, the 12th qualifying spot went to Colombia’s Valentina Barrios, who wound up going 60.98.
Finishing one spot ahead of Bliss in qualifying was USA teammate and fellow Pennsylvania native Madison Wiltrout of Connellsville. Wiltrout, throwing in the other flight in qualifying, threw a 59.58, or 195-5.
With qualifying throws wiped off the board, the finals had Ecuador’s Juleisy Angulo win the event with a 65.12, followed by Latvia’s Anete Sietina (64.64) and Australia’s Mackenzie Little (63.85). In feet, it went 213-7, 212-1 and 208-7. The best throw of the event came in the prelims from Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos, who threw 66.06 meters, or 216-8. She wound up eighth in the finals the next day at 61.29, or 201-1.
Vilagos was the eighth of eight throwers to go 201 feet or more in the finals. In the prelims, 12 throwers went 61 meters (200 feet) or further.
“This meet was a huge building block for her future,” said Bucknell throws coach Ryan Protzman, who also made the trip. “I strongly believe if she stays healthy, she can do some unthinkable things in the future. I told her heading into the postseason of her freshman year that we were going to work together and change American women’s javelin throwing. She’s off to a great start and earned a bit of downtime to recover. Top 20 in the world. What a way to sign off.”
According to the World Athletics organization, a total of 619,288 fans attended the World Championships in Tokyo — more than the 581,462 who were there for the Tokyo 1991 World Championships — with sellout evening sessions across the week.
“Walking out of the tunnel to a crowd of 58,000 people was the most exhilarating thing ever,” Bliss remarked. “Throwing in front of a crowd like that with the best women in the world was like a crazy competition high.”
The trip to the stadium offered Protzman a chance to review how far he and Bliss have come in two short years at Bucknell.
“I am in awe of everything I was part of this evening. From the second we boarded the bus to go to the warm-up track, there were World and Olympic medalists on both sides of the aisle. The 45-minute bus ride allowed for reflection on the growth of Evie and how special this year has been. To watch her walk out of that tunnel and take it all in was a moment that I’m so glad she got to experience.”
Bucknell head coach Kevin Donner offered his veteran perspective:
“Evie finished as the 19th best javelin thrower in the world today and she was ranked 35th out of the 36 competing throwers, so she outperformed her seed by 16 places. She had her second-best ever throw and handled the pressure of a huge crowd and being on the other side of the world like a pro. What a fantastic meet to end a fantastic season. Just two and a half years ago, she was competing at high school meets in rural Pennsylvania on grass runways in front of family and friends and a few teammates. Today, she was on the other side of the world in front of 50,000-plus people wearing her USA uniform.”
Donner also noted the high-quality work of his assistant coach:
“Congratulations also to Coach Protzman who has coached and mentored her to this tremendous level. It wasn’t that long ago when he coached at the high school level in Western Pennsylvania and today, he was at the most competitive meet in the world.”
Bliss isn’t deterred or distraught by missing the finals. Instead, she has been fueled with a greater determination and drive and now knows the inside javelin for worldwide success.
“Walking away from it all I have gained so much experience,” she said. “I know what I need to work on to be one of the top 12 next time. I also got a taste of what it is like at the top and I will return.”
AloJapan.com