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August 28, 2004 5:11 pm

Greer flops in javelin final

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - American javelin thrower Breaux Greer had the confidence and the healthy attitude coming into Saturday night's Olympic final, but only one good knee.

That combination turned into disaster for the former Northeast Louisiana athlete, who had the worst throw in the first round of Saturday's finals, followed by two scratches to end his medal hopes.

Greer, who tore the ACL in his left knee while setting a U.S. record of 286 feet, 8 inches at a June meet in Norway, had the top qualifying mark of 286-3 on Thursday night. He did it on his first throw and called it good for the night, hoping to save his knee for the finals.

His qualifying mark would have won him the gold medal, which went to Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway with a 283-9.

Greer's only legal throw in the finals was 243-11. The flamboyant four-time U.S. champion with long blonde hair did it wearing a heavy brace on the knee with a sticker on the brace reading: ``My knee feels great.''

He stormed through the media, saying ``I don't feel like talking.''

When a reporter asked how his knee felt, he said, ``pretty (expletive) bad.''

The U.S. hasn't medaled in men's javelin since Bill Schmidt won bronze in 1972.

Vadims Vasilevskis of Latvia (278-8) won the silver, while Sergey Makarov of Russia (278-4) picked up bronze.

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