Armstrong, Justin Rodhe clinch Olympic berths in shot put

A slick throwing surface couldn't trip up Dylan Armstrong on Saturday.

The 31-year-old from Kamloops, B.C., threw 21.29 metres to capture the men's shot put title at the Canadian track and field trials in Calgary and cement his spot on the Olympic team for London.

Armstrong, who needed only a top-three finish to clinch an Olympic spot, wasn't thrilled with the throwing circle at Foothills Athletics Park. At one point, the world silver medallist turned to another athlete and said, "The throwing circle is brutal, man. It's a sheet of glass."

The distance was well off his Canadian-record toss of 22.21 he threw at last year's national championships in Calgary.

"Today was just about having fun and giving the people here a chance to look and see what we do," said Armstrong, one of Canada's top hopes for a medal in London. "I was really happy with the result, it was a bit challenging with the circle, it was definitely a lot slicker than last year. I think everybody had to make some technical adjustments today, but I'm definitely happy where I'm at right now."

Justin Rodhe, also of Kamloops, was second with 20.30, while Tim Nedow of Brockville, Ont., threw 20.21 for bronze.

Like Armstrong, Rodhe had achieved the Olympic qualifying standard and needed only a top-three finish at the trials to clinch a spot on the London-bound squad.

Armstrong's coach Anatoliy Bondarchuk, gold medallist in hammer throw for the former Soviet Union at the 1972 Olympics, sat in a fold-out chair, offering the thrower the odd tip.

Afterward, a couple of dozen fans lined up as the beefy six-foot-four, 345-pound thrower signed autographs.

Earlier in the day, Rachel Seaman of Peterborough, Ont., and Inaki Gomez of Vancouver clinched their spots in the women's and men's 10,000-metre racewalk.

Alex Genest of Lac-aux-Sables, Que., won the men's 3,000 steeplechase to earn his berth in London, while hammer throwers Heather Steacy of Lethbridge, Alta., and Sultana Frizell of Perth, Ont., finished 1-2 to clinch their spots on the squad.