Bates College graduate Liz Wanless makes her debut on the world stage today in the women’s shot put at the world track and field championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Wanless, the second-ranked American in the event with a distance of 60 feet, 8 inches, is one of 26 competitors who are vying for one of 12 spots in Saturday’s final.
She is seeded 18th.
A 2004 graduate of Bates and a two-time NCAA Division III national champion in the shot, Wanless spent much of the last year competing for the University of Florida, where she enjoyed a breakout season.
Wanless, 23, has spent the past couple of week completing her conditioning program in Hungary under the direction of coach Dr. Larry Judge.
While in Europe, Wanless won both shot put competitions that she entered, including a toss of more than 57 feet a couple of weeks ago in Budapest.
“It was a good result since we are finishing up a heavy training cycle,” Judge wrote in an e-mail after the competition.
No American has qualified for the finals in the women’s shot put at the world championships since 1999.
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