James Parker (hammer thrower)
 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  United States
| ||
| Pan American Games | ||
 |
2003 Santo Domingo | Hammer throw |
James Daniel Parker (December 3, 1975 – August 19, 2023) was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the hammer throw.[1] He represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He won the silver medal at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Life and career
[edit]James D. Parker was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, on December 3, 1975.[2] Parker grew up in Layton, Utah.[3] At Layton's Northridge High School, Parker was a track and football athlete. He won the state championship in shot put his junior and senior year, and the discus as a senior. He graduated in 1994.[4]
Utah State
[edit]For university, he joined the Utah State University athletics team where he would earn All-American track honors nine times. At Utah State, Parker competed in hammer throw and discus.[5] In 2001, Parker graduated from Utah State in with degrees in exercise science and human biology.[3]
Air Force and Olympics
[edit]After university, Parker would go on to join the U.S. Air Force, serving as first lieutenant and continuing his athletic career as part of the World Class Athlete Program.[6][7] In 2004, he set a personal best in the hammer throw with a throw of 79.20 meters (259 feet 10 inches), qualifying him for the Olympics.[8][5] That year, he was named Air Force Athlete of the Year.[9] At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Parker caught a stomach ailment and failed to make it out of qualifying.[10]
Parker would later rise to become deputy commander of the 380th Expeditionary Services Squadron.[9] He was unsuccessful in his attempt to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics.[11]
Chiropractic career
[edit]After leaving the military, Parker attended the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon, earning a doctorate in chiropractic practice.[3] In 2011, he opened a private practice in Davis County, Utah.[12][4]
In 2012, Parker was inducted into the Utah State University Athletics Hall of Fame. At the time, he was the most decorated athlete in Utah State's history.[5]
Parker later coached Paralympian David Blair to a gold medal in the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio. Parker would later join the medical team for Team USA, travelling to Tokyo in 2021 as a chiropractor for the 2020 Summer Games and 2020 Paralympic Games.[13][14]
Death
[edit]Parker died on August 19, 2023, at age 47 from a heart attack while hiking near Huntsville, Utah.[15][12]
Competition record
[edit]| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the United States
| |||||
| 2001 | Universiade | Beijing, China | – | Hammer throw | NM |
| 2003 | Pan American Games | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | 2nd | Hammer throw | 74.35 m |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 21st (q) | Hammer throw | 75.04 m |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 20th (q) | Hammer throw | 71.95 m |
References
[edit]- ^ James Parker at World Athletics
- ^ "James Parker". USA Track & Field. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Aggie Hall of Famer and All-American James Parker Dies". Utah State University Athletics. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Ex-Olympic athlete returns to Davis County roots". The Salt Lake Tribune. December 7, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c "James Parker (2012) - Hall of Fame". Utah State University Athletics. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ "Air Force lieutenant ready to hammer". USA Today. July 30, 2004. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
- ^ "Hammer time: Parker preparing for Olympics". Deseret News. August 7, 2004. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Woodring, J.C. (July 17, 2004). "Airman earns spot on Olympic track, field team". US Air Force.
- ^ a b Hammond, Mike. "The Hammer". US Air Force.
- ^ "Stomach ailment hammers Parker". Deseret News. August 21, 2004. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ "Former USU Hammer Thrower Parker In U.S. Olympic Trials Finals". The Utah Statesman. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "James Daniel Parker Obituary 2023". Lindquist Mortuary. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Steinbrecher, Lauren (August 26, 2023). "Family of late Utah Olympic athlete and Paralympic coach feeling support from around the world". KSLTV.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Cabrero, Alex (August 8, 2021). "Kaysville Chiropractor Helps Athletes On US Track And Field Team In Tokyo". KSLTV.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ "James Parker". Olympedia. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
External links
[edit]- James Parker at World Athletics
- James Parker at legacy.USATF.org (archived)
- James Parker at Olympics.com
- James Parker at Team USA (archived)
- James Parker at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- James Parker at Olympedia
 | This biographical article about an American hammer thrower is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- 1975 births
- 2023 deaths
- Sportspeople from Biloxi, Mississippi
- American male hammer throwers
- Male weight throwers
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
- Track and field athletes from Mississippi
- United States Air Force World Class Athlete Program
- United States Air Force Athlete of the Year
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2003 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- American track and field athletics biography stubs
- Utah State Aggies athletes
- University of Western States alumni
- American chiropractors
- Mormon athletes
- Sportspeople from Utah
- United States Air Force officers