BYDGOSZCZ, Poland — LSU sophomore transfer Walter Henning showed why he is the world’s premier junior hammer thrower with his performance Saturday afternoon as he became the first American to win a gold medal in the event at the IAAF World Junior Championships.
After taking the lead with a mark of 249 feet, 9 inches on his very first throw of the competition, Henning broke his own American junior record in the 6-kg. hammer on his sixth and final attempt by unleashing a throw of 252-4 to wow the crowd at Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium.
Not only is Henning the first hammer thrower from the United States to win a gold medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships, but he is the first American to bring home the gold in a major international competition since Harold Connolly won gold at the Olympic Games in 1956.
This marks the first time in his young career that Henning has medaled at the IAAF World Junior Championships after also stepping into the hammer circle for the United States in 2006.
“It hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m sure it will on the plane ride back to the United States,” Henning said. “I’m speechless. I really don’t know what to say. It’s awesome. I went out there and decided I wanted to throw a big throw on my first attempt to get everybody scared a little bit. That’s what I did and it held up. I was able to relax and hit another big throw on my last attempt.
“Ever since I went to Morocco in 2005 (for the World Youth Championships), all my training has gone toward winning this meet on this day. I’m happy that my peak went well and that the rest of the U.S. team helped out a lot with cheering. Pretty much the entire team was out here today.”
Henning also received the honor of representing the United States by carrying the American flag during the meet’s opening ceremonies on Monday afternoon.
“To carry the flag during the opening ceremony was a tremendous honor,” Henning said. “It’s phenomenal to be able to carry the flag, win a gold medal and set a PR and American record all in the same meet. I really couldn’t ask for anything more than this.”
Henning is sure to lead a resurgent LSU throws group that enjoyed an outstanding season in 2008 under first-year assistant coach Derek Yush, who coached seven of his athletes to personal bests and sophomore javelin thrower Preston Chatham to All-America honors with a fourth-place finish in his specialty at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in June.
Henning has already proven to be one of the top throwers at the collegiate level after earning All-America honors during the indoor season with a third-place finish in the 35-lb. weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March.
He also swept Atlantic Coast Conference titles in the weight throw indoors and the hammer throw outdoors while competing for the University of North Carolina as a freshman.
“I think this is only a glimpse of the kind of potential Walter has as a hammer thrower,” said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. “We’re certainly excited that he will be joining our program in the fall and look forward to seeing what he can do with a year of training under Coach Yush. We have seen him perform exceptionally well at the championship meets over the years, and he has shown the ability to throw his best when it counts the most. That’s what we’re counting on next season.”
While making history at the IAAF World Junior Championships on Saturday, Henning enjoyed a history-making performance at the USA Junior Outdoor Championships in June by winning his third straight U.S. Junior title in the 6-kg. hammer with a meet record throw of 242-4 to finish his junior career as one of the all-time great throwers in the United States.