Becky Breisch
Encyclopedia
Becky Breisch is an American
track and field
athlete who competes in the discus throw
. She has represented the United States in the event at three consecutive World Championships in Athletics from 2005 to 2009. Her personal best throw of 67.37 meters for the discus makes her the second best American of all-time in the event, after Suzy Powell
.
A two-time USA Outdoor
champion as a professional, she also claimed NCAA titles in the discus and shot put
while at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
.
, she attended Edwardsburg High School
before going on to college at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
. While majoring in community health, she competed for the Nebraska Cornhuskers
women's track and field team in the shot put and discus throw. In 2002, she won discus at the Big 12 Conference
in her first year and was the runner-up in the event at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
later that summer. In her sophomore year at Nebraska she won both the indoor and outdoor Big 12 shot put titles, the Big 12 discus title, and then went on to claim her first outdoor NCAA title in the shot put.
The 2004 season brought her further success: she won both the shot put and weight throw
events at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and placed second in the shot at the NCAA Indoors. Turning to the outdoor season, she repeated as the Big 12 shot champion and won the discus at the NCAA Outdoors. She narrowly missed out on a place at the 2004 Athens Olympics
, as she finished fourth at that year's United States Olympic Trials
. An elbow injury meant that she missed the majority of the college athletics
season in her last year at Nebraska. In her time at Nebraska she earned NCAA All-America
n honours on eight occasions.
in May 2005, launching the implement 63.53 metre. That throw ranked her as the second best American thrower of the season behind Aretha Thurmond
. She won the discus at the Drake Relays
and then took her first national discus title at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
, earning herself a place for the world championships. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
her best throw of 57.16 m in the qualifiers was not enough to progress to the final.
She set a personal record throw of 67.37 metre in Maui, Hawaii in April 2007, a mark which elevated her to second on the all-time American lists behind Suzy Powell
(who had thrown 67.67 metre in Hawaii just two days earlier). She won the discus at the Reebok Grand Prix
and was runner-up at the USA Outdoor Nationals. On her second global appearance at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
in Osaka
she was again knocked out in the qualifying round. As one of the best performers on the circuit, she was invited to the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
, where she finished in fourth place.
A fourth-place finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials meant she again narrowly missed out on an opportunity to perform on the Olympic stage. At the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
, she managed only seventh position. She fared better at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
, where her throw of 62.08 metre brought her the bronze medal
and another place on the American world team. For a third consecutive time, she was knocked out in the qualifying round, taking eleventh place in the group stage of the 2009 World Championships
.
Breisch claimed her second national title in the discus at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
, defeating Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton
among others. She was one of two athletes to be selected to represent the Americas at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
(the other being Cuban Yarelis Barrios
) and she finished fifth with a best mark of 60.7 metre.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who competes in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
. She has represented the United States in the event at three consecutive World Championships in Athletics from 2005 to 2009. Her personal best throw of 67.37 meters for the discus makes her the second best American of all-time in the event, after Suzy Powell
Suzy Powell
Suzanne Powell-Roos is a female discus thrower from the United States., who represented her native country in the women's discus throw event at three Summer Olympics, 1996 , 2000 and 2008 .She is the current American record holder in the Discus Throw, that record of...
.
A two-time USA Outdoor
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
champion as a professional, she also claimed NCAA titles in the discus and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
while at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
.
Early life and college
Born in Edwardsburg, MichiganEdwardsburg, Michigan
Edwardsburg is a village in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan, northeast of South Bend. The population was 1,147 at the 2000 census. It is part of the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, she attended Edwardsburg High School
Edwardsburg High School
Edwardsburg High School is a public high school catering for approximately 750 students in grades 9-12 in Edwardsburg, Michigan, in Cass County, USA.-History:...
before going on to college at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
. While majoring in community health, she competed for the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
women's track and field team in the shot put and discus throw. In 2002, she won discus at the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
in her first year and was the runner-up in the event at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship
NCAA team champions for Women's Outdoor Track and Field-By school:-See also:*AIAW Intercollegiate Women's Outdoor Track and Field Champions*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship...
later that summer. In her sophomore year at Nebraska she won both the indoor and outdoor Big 12 shot put titles, the Big 12 discus title, and then went on to claim her first outdoor NCAA title in the shot put.
The 2004 season brought her further success: she won both the shot put and weight throw
Weight throw
The weight throw is a track and field event that is held at Scottish Highland games and occasionally at indoor track meets.In the Highland Games, the weight throw consists of two separate events, the light weight and the heavy weight. In both cases, the implement consists of a steel or lead weight ...
events at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and placed second in the shot at the NCAA Indoors. Turning to the outdoor season, she repeated as the Big 12 shot champion and won the discus at the NCAA Outdoors. She narrowly missed out on a place at the 2004 Athens Olympics
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put...
, as she finished fourth at that year's United States Olympic Trials
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
. An elbow injury meant that she missed the majority of the college athletics
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
season in her last year at Nebraska. In her time at Nebraska she earned NCAA All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honours on eight occasions.
Professional
She threw a personal best in the discus in Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
in May 2005, launching the implement 63.53 metre. That throw ranked her as the second best American thrower of the season behind Aretha Thurmond
Aretha Thurmond
Aretha Thurmond, née Hill is an American discus thrower, whose personal best distance is 65.86 metres, achieved in March 2004 in Marietta.-Achievements:-External links:...
. She won the discus at the Drake Relays
Drake Relays
The Drake Relays is an annual outdoor track and field event held in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, in Drake Stadium on the campus of Drake University...
and then took her first national discus title at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is an annual track and field competition organized by USA Track & Field, which serves as the American national championships for the sport...
, earning herself a place for the world championships. At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
her best throw of 57.16 m in the qualifiers was not enough to progress to the final.
She set a personal record throw of 67.37 metre in Maui, Hawaii in April 2007, a mark which elevated her to second on the all-time American lists behind Suzy Powell
Suzy Powell
Suzanne Powell-Roos is a female discus thrower from the United States., who represented her native country in the women's discus throw event at three Summer Olympics, 1996 , 2000 and 2008 .She is the current American record holder in the Discus Throw, that record of...
(who had thrown 67.67 metre in Hawaii just two days earlier). She won the discus at the Reebok Grand Prix
Reebok Grand Prix
The Adidas Grand Prix, formerly the Reebok Grand Prix, is an annual athletics meeting at the Icahn Stadium in New York City, United States. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-World records:...
and was runner-up at the USA Outdoor Nationals. On her second global appearance at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
she was again knocked out in the qualifying round. As one of the best performers on the circuit, she was invited to the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
2007 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*...
, where she finished in fourth place.
A fourth-place finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials meant she again narrowly missed out on an opportunity to perform on the Olympic stage. At the 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
2008 IAAF World Athletics Final
The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied...
, she managed only seventh position. She fared better at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place between June 25–28 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The competition acted as a way of selecting the United States team for the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin later that year....
, where her throw of 62.08 metre brought her the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
and another place on the American world team. For a third consecutive time, she was knocked out in the qualifying round, taking eleventh place in the group stage of the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
.
Breisch claimed her second national title in the discus at the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
The 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships were held at Drake Stadium, Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa on June 23-27, 2010. In order to boost the visibility of this event, USATF sponsored a member appreciation tent at the event and promoted the entire week as "Membership appreciation...
, defeating Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton
Stephanie Brown Trafton
Stephanie Brown Trafton is an American track and field athlete who won the discus throwing gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She was a somewhat unusual modern athlete in that she had become a two-time Olympian before she had competed at a World Championships...
among others. She was one of two athletes to be selected to represent the Americas at the 2010 IAAF Continental Cup
2010 IAAF Continental Cup
The 1st IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Originally scheduled as the 11th IAAF World Cup in Athletics, it was renamed in 2008 when the IAAF revamped the competition format...
(the other being Cuban Yarelis Barrios
Yarelis Barrios
Yarelys Barrios Castañeda is a female discus thrower from Cuba. Her personal best throw is 66.13 metres, achieved in July 2008.-Achievements:-References:*...
) and she finished fifth with a best mark of 60.7 metre.
Major competition record
| 2005 | World Championships 2005 World Championships in Athletics The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of... |
Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland |
10th (qualifying) | Discus throw |
| 2007 | World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
11th (qualifying) | Discus throw |
| World Athletics Final 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final The 5th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart, Germany on September 22 and September 23, 2007.-Men:- Women :-External links:*... |
Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
4th | Discus throw | |
| 2008 | World Athletics Final 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final The 6th IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, Germany on September 13 and September 14, 2008.A number of road races also took place on the second day of competition. There were seven different starting points around the Stuttgart area and the distances varied... |
Stuttgart Stuttgart Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million .... , Germany |
7th | Discus throw |
| 2009 | World Championships 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany |
11th (qualifying) | Discus throw 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw The women's discus throw at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 19 and August 21.Reigning Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton was the favourite for the gold. She had set a career best and had the four longest throws of any athlete that season,... |
| 2010 | Continental Cup 2010 IAAF Continental Cup The 1st IAAF Continental Cup was an international track and field sporting event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations. Originally scheduled as the 11th IAAF World Cup in Athletics, it was renamed in 2008 when the IAAF revamped the competition format... |
Split Split (city) Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and... , Croatia |
5th | Discus throw |