 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Lance Earl Deal |
| Born | (1961-08-21)21 August 1961 (age 64) Riverton, Wyoming, United States |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 116 kg (256 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  United States |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Hammer throw |
| College team | Montana State University |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest |
|
Lance Earl Deal (born August 21, 1961, inRiverton, Wyoming) is a former Americanathlete who won asilver medal in thehammer throw in the1996 Summer Olympics inAtlanta, Georgia. He also competed in the1988,1992, and2000 Summer Olympics.[1]
In the hammer throw finals at the 1996 Olympic Games, only the top eight competitors after three throws were awarded three additional throws. Deal fouled his first two throws; his third equaled the eighth longest throw of the competition. However, he was only in ninth place, because the other competitor had a second legal throw. The announcer initially stated that, on the basis of that tiebreaker, Deal was out of the rest of the competition. The officials corrected the error, however; IAAF rules do not call for breaking ties in this case. So Deal advanced, and on his sixth and final throw, won the silver medal behindBalázs Kiss of Hungary.
Later in the season, he threw 82.52 m (270 ft8+3⁄4 in) to win theIAAF Grand Prix Final. 24 years later, in 2020, that throw was ratified as theAmerican Masters M35 record.[2] That mark would also be aWorld Record if it is ever ratified byWMA.
Deal graduated fromNatrona County High School inCasper, Wyoming, where he earned All-State Honors in football, wrestling, and track. He went on to graduate fromMontana State University inBozeman, Montana. He currently works at the University of Oregon as the Director of Track & Field Venues and Program Support. He was the throws coach (fordiscus,hammer,javelin, andshot put) at theUniversity of Oregon until 2010. Deal is married and has one daughter.
Deal was inducted into theOregon Sports Hall of Fame on September 25, 2007.[3][4] He was also inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2014, he was elected into theNational Track and Field Hall of Fame.[5]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the United States | ||||
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 17th | 73.66 m |
| 1991 | World Championships | Tokyo, Japan | 13th | 72.90 m |
| 1992 | Olympic Games | Barcelona, Spain | 7th | 76.84 m |
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany | 9th | 76.20 m |
| 1995 | Pan American Games | Mar del Plata, Argentina | 1st | 75.64 m |
| World Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 5th | 78.66 m | |
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 2nd | 81.12 m |
| IAAF Grand Prix Final | Milan, Italy | 1st | 82.52 m | |
| 1999 | Pan American Games | Winnipeg, Canada | 1st | 79.61 m |
| World Championships | Seville, Spain | 13th | 75.29 m | |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 16th | 75.61 m |
|
