SYDNEY — Would Amy Christensen Palmer save her best for last again on her final throw in the women's hammer finals at Olympic Stadium?
In Wednesday's qualifying at the Sydney Summer Games, the former Grantsville High and BYU standout needed a third and final throw of 62.78 meters in order to be the 12th and final athlete to compete for Friday night's finals.
And on her third throw of Friday night's competition, she needed a heave of 66.15 in order to be among the eight finalists to earn three additional throws for an Olympic medal.
After a sub-60 toss on her fourth throw and a foot fault on her fifth, Palmer stepped up for her sixth and final toss . . . which she released early and sent flying into the cage's protective netting for a no-throw.
"I didn't have it in me," said the 25-year-old Grantsville native. "I had given everything already, I was tired, and I just did what I could do."
Palmer finished eighth overall in the event, which was making its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games. Seventeen-year-old Kamila Skolimowska of Poland won the gold medal with a throw of 71.16 meters, with event favorite Olga Kuzenkova of Russia (69.77) and Germany's Kirsten Muenchow (69.28) taking the silver and bronze, respectively.
Palmer's best throw of the competition may have been her first Friday, sailing toward at least the 67-meter range. But it also sailed out of bounds to the left for a fault.
"It felt really good," she said. "I'm anxious to go out and see where it landed. But that's how things go.
"Too bad it didn't land in, or I might be in a different situation right now."
Palmer now looks toward the 2001 World Championships, mindful of another Olympics in Athens in 2004.
"I'm sure that will be in the back of my mind for a while," she said.
E-MAIL: taylor@desnews.com