Stephanie Brown Trafton: Throwing for Discus Gold

Stephanie Brown Trafton just made the 2008 Olympic discus team, finishing third in the U.S. Trials. Then she went down to the wire before earning a spot in the Olympic final with her third and last qualifying throw. In the final, however, Brown Trafton was at her best from the start, winning the gold medal with a first-round throw measuring 64.74 meters (212 feet, 4.82 inches).

Leader:

She was third at the 2008 Olympic Trials, but Trafton entered the Beijing Games with the top throw by an American in 2008, having won at Salinas in May with a personal best toss of 66.17 meters (217 feet, 1.12 inches).

Re-trial:

Trafton previously competed in the 2004 Olympic Trials, placing second with a then-personal best throw of 61.90 meters (203 feet, 1.01 inches).

Double threat:

Trafton competed in both discus and shot put in college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Her top discus performances included a fourth place finish the 2002 NCAA Outdoors and a Big West championship in 2002. In 2003 she was fourth in the shot put at the NCAA Outdoors and won the Big West shot put championship.

The stats:

• Height: 6-4
• Weight: 225
• Age: 28
• Birth date: December 1, 1979
• Hometown: Arroyo, California
• World Championships: One