The Master of the Linear Technique: John Powell

John Powell visualising his next throw at the USA vs GDR Dual Meet (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - 26th June 1983).

John Powell was a titan, the embodiment of the art of throwing. Through his dedication to becoming faster, stronger and more powerful he was able to leave an everlasting legacy on Track & Field and remain a benchmark for the generations that followed.

It is hard to have a conversation about discus throwing without mentioning John Powell. I was first introduced to John when he appeared in the 1985 classic sports documentary Själen är större än världen (The Soul is Greater than the World) which famously documented the life and training of Ricky Bruch. In the film John embodies the essence of a true champion, grace, patience, charisma and most importantly, humour. He had a unique skill in demonstrating that being a thrower is not just about being the biggest and strongest guy in the weight room. With that being said, he was, by any standard, incredibly strong. His best lifts include a 355lb Bench Press (161kg), 550lb Squat (249kg), 335lb Clean and Jerk (151kg) and a 650lb Deadlift (294kg). Not bad for a 240lb athlete.

Aside from his strength John staunchly believed that conditioning was just as important as lifting weights, for his in-season program he would jog a 880m-1mile route every weekday morning to maintain stamina and general fitness. This is something we don’t often see nowadays, but nevertheless it was a contributing factor to John’s fluidity in the ring. Ernie Bullard captured this perfectly in his 1975 book The Linear Approach to the Discus “he runs daily because his competitors do not care to; he prepares in poor conditions because he knows his opposition will not”. This is testament to John’s contrarian approach to the event, he followed his own path and was not blinkered by what everyone else was doing and in the process cemented himself as one of the all-time greats.

John Powell will be featured in greater detail in Volume 1 of my upcoming not for profit book series The Throwers Guide to ‘Golden Era’ Athletes: Legends of the Shot, Discus and Hammer; their lives, training and techniques.

R.I.P John, a hero to many, a legend to all.

Thanks for reading,

Tom - Vintage Strength

Career Highlights:

·       2 x Olympic Bronze Medallist (1976 & 1984)

·       2^nd 1987 World Championships in Rome

·       15^th all-time best Mens Discus Thrower (tied with a PB of 71.26 with friend and competitor Ricky Bruch)

·       4^th in 1972 Munich Olympics

·       7 x US Mens Discus Champion

·       1^st in 1975 Pan American Games

Personal Bests:

·       Discus – 71.26m

·       Shot – 17.09m

·       Hammer – 58.49m