Discus thrower Dariusz Slowik, 27, will begin warming up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics this Jan. 15 by trying to hurl a washing machine farther than anyone has before.
“He does a lot of strength training and this throw can easily be worked into his schedule,” says his technical coach, British-born Ian Maplethorpe.
During a Golden Bear track meet at the University of Alberta Butterdome, Slowick and Maplethorpe will attempt to throw a 61-kilogram washing machine seven metres.
“That should destroy the existing mark in the Guinness Book of World Records,” the six-foot-five, 260-pound Slowik says. “But it’s expensive. The washing machines must be in working order. We’ve wasted five so far in training.”
Warsaw-born Dariusz, ranked in 2004 as one of the world’s top 20 discus throwers, hopes his feat will raise more than $10,000 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. “The publicity might help the discus event. Throwing a discus isn’t very sexy to the average Canadian, but everyone can imagine a washing machine flying through the air.”
Such stunts aren’t new to the athlete. He currently holds the Guinness world record for the longest car push.
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