Christian Cantwell is a big man — 6 feet 5 and 300 pounds — who does not apply needless decoration to himself or what he does.

The former Missouri All-America shot put champion is heading to China on Saturday for the Summer Olympics that begin Aug. 8. But let others wrap themselves in the flag, the perceived glory.

For Cantwell, the Beijing Games are not so much an opportunity to establish himself as the Lord of the Ring as they will be another day on the job as a professional athlete doing what he always does.

"I'm just going to give 'em hell and see what happens," Cantwell said.

What could happen &mdashl; U.S. Olympic officials hope — is Cantwell, Reese Hoffa and Adam Nelson give the U.S. its first sweep of the Games medal podium in a field-throwing event since 1960.

"These three guys," said Brett Halter, Cantwell's longtime coach,"they're on their game, nobody can touch 'em."

Cantwell brushes aside such talk as only a man who wears a full beard and mustache in the heat of a Missouri summer can.

"Everybody wants to talk about sweeping," Cantwell said. "That sounds great and all. But track is an individual sport. It's you against the tape measure."

Read the complete story at kansascity.com.