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August 20, 2004 11:11 am

Ailing Parker fails to advance in hammer

By MIKE PRATER

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - James Parker landed in Athens earlier this week and immediately got sick.

He didn't feel any better after Friday's performance in the Olympic hammer throw.

The Great Falls, Mont., resident couldn't shake an intestinal bug, and finished 21st in qualifying inside Olympic Stadium. The top 12 advanced to Sunday's final.

Parker said he's been bothered by dehydration, a lack of sleep and slow energy.

``I really don't know what it was. I have no idea and the doctors don't know, either,'' he said. ``They just give me medicine. I couldn't think about that. I just had to go out and do my best, and I felt like I did OK.''

The second lieutenant at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls got better on each of his three throws - going from 240 feet, 0 inches to 243-1. In his final attempt, he hit 246-2.

The top qualifier was Ivan Tikhon of Belarus (265-0), and the final qualifier was Karsten Kobs of Germany (251-7). Parker had a personal best of 259-2 this season, qualified at the U.S. Trials with a 244-6 and was throwing in that range during training camp in Prague last week.

``I was training my best,'' he said. ``The indications were that I was going to throw far. ... I was more relaxed than I thought I'd be, and maybe that was to a fault. I felt like I handled the atmosphere mentally pretty well, actually. I just didn't have any zip.''

Parker, 28, now plans to return to his Air Force job in Great Falls, where he's been stationed for three years. The Layton, Utah, native and Utah State graduate is a services officer and handles lodging, fitness, sports and food service for the Air Force.

He has a meet in Japan in September and hopes to return to the Olympics for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.

``I definitely want revenge,'' he said.

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