Adam Setliff (born December 15, 1969) is an American formerdiscus thrower who represented his native country at two consecutiveSummer Olympics (1996 and 2000), finishing 12th and 5th respectively. Born inEl Dorado, Arkansas, he set his personal best (69.44 m) in the men's discus throw on July 21, 2001, at a meet inLa Jolla, California.
Setliff grew up inBig Horn, Wyoming,[1] where he discovered discus throwing in the sixth grade.[2] When he was a sophomore, his father moved the family toNorth Platte, Nebraska,[2] where he attendedNorth Platte High School and placed fourth in discus at the 1986 Class A state championships.[3] Setliff also played basketball and tennis at North Platte.[4][5] He then moved with his mother toFort Worth, Texas,[2] where he attendedEastern Hills High School and won the District 6-5A title in discus in 1987.[6] Setliff finished atL. D. Bell High School inHurst, Texas, his fourth of four high schools.[2] As a senior at L. D. Bell in 1988, he won the Class 5A state title in discus and finished as the No.1 prep thrower in the nation, as well as breaking the Texas state record previously held byMichael Carter.[2][7]
Setliff earned a full scholarship to throw atRice University, though he dropped out after two years.[2] He met former Olympic weightlifterMihály Huszka, who trained him for six months.[2] After improving his strength, Setliff contactedUniversity of Washington head track coach Ken Shannon because "Washington was the only school to have two discus throwers in the (nation's) top 20," and Shannon offered him a scholarship.[2] Setliff placed fifth at the1993 NCAA Outdoor Championships.[1] However, he left Washington 12 units shy of earning his English degree due to an "overwhelming desire to leave Seattle and never see it again."[8]
After college, Setliff trained under Olympic gold medalistMac Wilkins, and later portrayed Wilkins in the 1998 filmWithout Limits, which was his first acting experience.[1][8] He finished third at the1996 Olympic Trials and second at the1998 U.S. Championships before missing the 1999 season with injuries, during which time he wrote ascreenplay.[8] After returning to action, Setliff had a career best throw of 224' 9" in March 2000 before winning the2000 Olympic Trials in July to qualify for his second Olympics.[8]
Setliff retired prior to the 2004 season. Currently, he lives in Dallas, Texas and practices real estate law while running a title agency.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the United States | ||||
| 1997 | IAAF Grand Prix Final | Fukuoka, Japan | 2nd | 66.12 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 5th | 66.02 m |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 5th | 66.55 m |
