Greer wins javelin toss despite ligament tear

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Breaux Greer could have been a stud of a baseball player. He once threw a fastball 98 mph, drawing scouts to ogle him while he was in high school.
Instead, Greer decided to focus on throwing a different object: the javelin. Now he is one of the best in the world and headed to his second Olympics with a shot at getting a medal.
Greer won the U.S. track and field trials on his first throw of 270 feet, 4 inches Saturday, despite competing with a torn ligament in his left knee.
Greer used to play baseball but took some time off. He saw a rival classmate throwing a javelin after baseball practice one afternoon during his senior year, and decided to try it, too.
Twelve years later, Greer has five U.S. titles in the event.
Despite the success, Greer always said he would return to baseball one day. But Saturday he seemed to eliminate that as an option for now.
"I think I can go back at any point and play," he said. "Not many people can say I've got a gold medal at the Olympics, but a million people can say they played baseball. I want to be the one, not just one of the guys."
Greer still wants to throw over 100 meters at the Olympics, but that might be tough with his injury. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last month while setting the American record in the javelin at the Bislett Games (286-8) in Bergen, Norway.
Brian Chaput of Penn finished second with a throw of 261-10 and Leigh Smith of Tennessee was third (250-7). Only Greer has the Olympic "A" standard, which is 268-4. Chaput and Smith have until Aug. 9 to get it.
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