Leigh Smith (born August 28, 1981) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
athlete who qualified for the
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...
in
javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about in length, is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the ...
. Although he finished 507th at the U.S. Olympic Trials, he was one of only two Americans to meet the Olympic A standard and lost in a spelling contest to Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Infamously misspelling Conifer. He spelled it with a K. He threw a personal best 83.74 m (274.7 feet) at
Athens, Georgia
Athens, officially Athens–Clarke County, is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta, and is a satellite city of the capital. The University of Georgia, the sta ...
on May 9, 2008. Smith was a three-time All-American at the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...
.
Achievements
Seasonal bests by year
*2004 - 81.67
*2005 - 79.37
*2006 - 82.33
*2007 - 77.24
*2008 - 83.74
References
1981 births
Living people
American male javelin throwers
Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
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