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Randy Barnes
1994-04 Randy Barnes.JPG
Randy Barnes (front) at the UTEP Sierra Medical invitational meet in 1994
Personal information
Full name Eric Randolph Barnes
Nationality American
Born (1966-06-16) June 16, 1966 (age 58)
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
Height 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 m)
Weight 291 lb
Sport
Country  United States
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Shot put
Coached by Robert Parker
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 23.12 m (1990)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Gold 1996 Atlanta Shot put
Silver 1988 Seoul Shot put
World Championships
Silver 1993 Stuttgart Shot put
Bronze 1995 Gothenburg Shot put

Eric Randolph Barnes (born June 16, 1966) is an American former shot putter who held the outdoor world record for the event from 1990 to 2021. He won silver at the 1988 Olympics and gold at the 1996 Olympics. Only three throwers have been within 40 centimetres (16 in) of his outdoor world record since it was set.

Biography

Barnes was born in Charleston, West Virginia, grew up in nearby St. Albans, and began putting the shot in high school. In 1985, he put an impressive 20.36 metres (66.8 ft) with the prep shot of 5.4 kilograms (12 lb). After graduating from St. Albans High School in 1985, he attended Texas A&M University where he broke school records (set by Randy Matson) with a put of 21.88 metres (71.8 ft) with the 7.26 kilograms (16.0 lb) full size shot. While at A&M, Randy worked with hall of famer conditioning coach Istvan Javorek and throws coach Robert Parker.

He went to the 1988 Seoul Olympics where he put 22.39 metres (73.5 ft) and earned a silver medal at only 22. He came second to Ulf Timmermann of East Germany, who put 22.47 metres (73.7 ft) at the height of East German doping dominance. On January 20, 1989, he set a new indoor world record at the Sunkist Invitational in Los Angeles with a put of 22.66 metres (74.3 ft), which was better than his outdoor personal best at the time.

On May 20, 1990, he broke Ulf Timmermann's outdoor record with a put of 23.12 m (75 ft 10.11122048 in). Six days later Timmermann almost matched his world record, throwing 23.10 m (75 ft 9.32381890 in) at the Bruce Jenner Invitational in San Jose. Barnes was banned from competing for 27 months after testing positive for the anabolic steroid methyltestosterone at a competition in Malmö, Sweden, on August 7 that same year. He sued to have the suspension overturned but lost. Due to the suspension, he was unable to compete in the 1992 Olympics.

At the 1996 Olympic Games, Barnes won the gold medal that eluded him 8 years earlier with a come-from-behind 21.62 metres (70.9 ft) put on his final attempt. In 1998, he tested positive for androstenedione, an over-the-counter supplement (famously used by baseball player Mark McGwire) that is banned in track and field. Although Barnes claimed he did not know androsten was banned, he was suspended from competition for life.

Barnes later became a long driving competitor, competing to hit a golf ball as far as possible; he qualified for the 2005 World Long Drive Championship.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Eric Randolph Barnes para niños

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