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VISCOUNT ALEXANDER AWARD
for Outstanding Junior Male Athlete
Dylan Armstrong - Athletics
Nominated by Athletics Canada
Until October 18, 2000, only 1500m runner Kevin Sullivan, decathlete Michael Smith, high jumper Mark Boswell, and 400m runner Shane Niemi had ever won an individual medal for Canada at the world junior track and field championships. That changed when 20-year-old Dylan Armstrong of Kamloops, B.C., threw the hammer 67.50m to clinch the silver medal. It took a personal-best throw from Esref Apak of Turkey to top Armstrong, who went into the meet as the world's number one junior thrower. "At the worlds, it's never about throwing far; it's about competing well, and Dylan did that, without complaint, without excuses, in very trying circumstances," says coach Derek Everly.
Tapped for international success since he began to throw seriously at the age of 14, the 1999 Pan American Games gold medallist has amassed an amazing list of accomplishments. In 2000 alone, he won provincial junior and senior titles in shot put, hammer, and discus; the national junior titles in hammer and shot put; and the national senior hammer title. He earned national rankings in hammer, was the number-six-ranked thrower in the Commonwealth, and the number-two all-time thrower in Canada.
Armstrong's success is rooted in a powerful combination of genetic makeup, work ethic, commitment, motivation, consistency, and a "fabulous" family support structure. Describing Armstrong as the finest athlete he has ever coached, Everly says that while the University of Texas student is incredibly gifted physically, "so are a lot of guys, but very few have Dylan's inner qualities. His dedication, drive, and commitment towards being the best possible thrower are unequalled in my experience."
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