Lawrence Okoye can’t wait to throw himself into the deep end

 

Lawrence Okoye has all the physical attributes to be the world’s best discus thrower.

He measures in at 6ft 6ins and weighs 21 stone. Despite that bulk, he is quick as well — he ran under 11 seconds for the 100m as a junior — so moving around the discus circle in tonight’s final won’t be an issue.

But the problem is that the 20-year-old is a relative novice in the sport. Of the 12 finalists, he was the only one born in the 1990s and most discus throwers do not reach their peak until a decade later.

Next month will mark two years since Okoye (above) took up the sport full time but he has made it into an Olympic final and has the ability to win a medal.

However, he has tended to shine at less high-profile meetings — his British record of 68.24m came at Halle in May. Yesterday, he went some way in dispelling that theory by throwing a plus-65m effort with his last attempt in qualifying. Okoye has an interesting enough story to become a household favourite. He boasts four A’ levels (two A stars and two As) and has a place to read law at Oxford University, which has been deferred.

On top of that, he was labelled the Jonah Lomu of his generation. Whether he could have reached the same heady heights as Lomu on the rugby field is unlikely but his bulk and speed made him a formidable opponent.

Discus is his main focus now and he feels he has a point to prove.

“I will be ready,” he said, looking ahead to the final. “I have a bigger job [than qualifying] to do with the big guys coming through. It’s going to be tough but I can do it.”

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