Central Valley athlete wins gold at Olympics

BEIJING, CHINA
August 18, 2008 9:24am

Stephanie Brown Trafton of Galt on Monday (U.S. time) threw a disc 212-feet, 5-inches to win the gold medal in the 2008 Olympic Games women's discus competition in Beijing.

The silver was awarded to Yarelys Barrios of Cuba, with a throw of 208-feet, 9-inches. Olena Antonovia of Ukraine took the bronze with a throw of 205-feet, 4-inches.

Ms. Trafton is the first American to win gold in the event since 1932.

Her Olympic effort, however, is not the furthest she has thrown.

In June, Ms. Trafton won the Prefontaine Classic Meeting in Eugene, Ore., with a throw of more than 208 feet. In qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, she threw a disk more than 205 feet.

But all of those, including the winning Olympic throw, pale in comparison to her all-time best throw of 217.09 feet on May 7 at a competition at Hartnell College in Salinas.

That was a world record in the sport for all of 43 days when it was first surpassed by a Rumanian who was later out-thrown by a Russian discus thrower in July.

The world record was set in 1988 by an East German at 251.9 feet.

Ms. Trafton has worked for Sycamore Environmental Consultants Inc. of Sacramento for the past two years in project management and CAD/GIS analysis.

“It has worked out really well. Her schedule has been reduced these last few month months because of her intensive training schedule,” says Cynthia Little, corporate secretary of the family-owned business.

“We have given her full access to adjust her schedule. When she is here, she is productive. She is an important part of the staff.”

Ms. Little says the company has been flooded with e-mails and phone calls from customers and friends who have been following Ms. Trafton’s quest.

“It’s an unusual situation to be in [as an employer] but it’s been rewarding for us. We’ve been cheering her on,” Ms. Little says.