Tim Muller Wins World Cup in Italy

Tim Muller, southwest regional manager, recently won a bronze medal in the discus throw at the World Masters Track & Field Championships in Riccione, Italy. He was involved in throwing events, such as shot-put and discus, in high school and college and began competing again at the Masters level about 10 years ago, at age 47. Muller won the bronze medal (third place of 56 entrants) in the discus with a throw of 48.75 meters (159 feet and 11 inches). He was seventh of 39 entrants in the shot-put with a throw of 13.98 meters (45 feet and 10 inches). “The competition was great with more than 9,000 athletes from 94 countries competing,” Muller said. “I am a very competitive person, and I love the one-on-one nature of track and field now as much as I loved the team concept in basketball earlier in my career.” In the off season, Muller concentrates on weight training to maintain strength and to train in technique. He is currently training with John Godina, former World Champion and 2000 & 2004 Olympian in the shot-put. “As I age, I have discovered it is harder to increase strength, and it takes a greater effort to maintain and recover from hard workouts,” he said. Masters Track & Field involves competition in five-year age increments starting at age 35. In the throwing events, there are international standard weights for each implement (shot-put, discus, hammer, weight, & javelin). Athletes must throw the Olympic weight implements until age 49. At age 50, 60, and 70 the weights drop slightly to compensate for the age of the athletes and their strength level. This past season Muller set a new Arizona state record for the discus in his age group, won the Arizona State meet in the shot-put and discus, and won the United States of America Track and Field (USATF) Western Regionals in the shot and discus. In August, he also won a gold medal in the shot-put and a silver medal in the discus at the U.S. National Masters Championships.