Liskowitz Takes Silver at World University Games
7/8/2019 4:02:00 PM | Men's Track & Field
NAPLES, Italy -- University of Michigan thrower Andrew Liskowitz earned the silver medal in the shot put on the first day of track and field action at the 2019 World University Games on Monday (July 8).
Saving one of the biggest performances of his career for the biggest stage of his career to date, Liskowitz (Middletown, New Jersey/Christian Brothers Academy) took runner-up honors with a fifth-round heave of 20.49m (67 feet, 2.75 inches) that ultimately moved him from bronze to silver.
The mark is the second-longest of the rising senior's career, behind only his school-record 21.15m (69-4.75) from the Michigan Throws Tune-Up meet on June 29.
After navigating a morning qualifying session with a best of 19.63m (64-5), Liskowitz -- who begins his graduate studies in the Ross School of Business in the fall -- began the 12-man evening-session final with a first-round mark of 18.08m (59-4).
From there he improved dramatically, going 19.70m (64-7.75) on his second try before he heaved a 20.17m (66-2.25) on his third attempt to move into second place overall heading into the last three attempts.
After not registering an improvement on his fourth attempt and subsequently dropping down into third after Mexico's Uziel Munoz Galarza's fifth attempt, Liskowitz launched his best of the day in the fifth round to reclaim the driver's seat in the race for silver.
With at least a silver medal assured by the time he entered the ring for his sixth-and-final throw, he needed to surpass 21.54m (70-8) to overtake Poland's Konrad Bukowiecki for the gold. Liskowitz placed the shot out of the sector for a foul on his last try.
He will now prepare for the USATF Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, where he will vie for another international berth at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, United Arab Emirates. Liskowitz will compete at USAs on Friday, July 26 at 5:45 p.m. CDT.
Hammer thrower Joe Ellis, also a competitor at the World University Games, advanced from Monday's qualifying rounds into Tuesday's (July 9) final. The two-time first team All-American, who exhausted his NCAA eligibility in June, will represent Great Britain in the final at 5:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. EDT).
Ellis was the 10th-best of the 12 men who advanced on to Tuesday, with a best of 65.67m (215-5). He will look to return to his 70-meter form and challenge for a medal.
Players Mentioned
