Background
Godina, John was born on March 31, 1972 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, United States.
Godina, John was born on March 31, 1972 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, United States.
While attending Cheyenne Central High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Godina was a letterman in football and outdoor track and field. He was an All-State honoree, and an All-American in both sports.
He also competes in discus. His 1995 NCAA Outdoor shot put title was a national record, at the time with a throw of 22.00 meters (72'225"). In the same discipline, he finished second in the 1996 Olympics and third in the 2000 Olympics.
He also qualified to those same Olympics in the Discus, the first American to qualify in both since Bud Houser in 1924 and he finished 8th in the 2004 Olympics in the Shot Put. He retired in 2009 after suffering through injuries at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Godina is one of the most decorated shot putters in U.S. athletics history.
Godina was named to the Mt. SAC Relays Hall of Fame in 2010. His coach Art Venegas was named to the Hall in 2011.
He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. John has a throwing academy in five different locations, two in California (Sacramento and San Ramon). The other three are located in Arizona (Phoenix, Mesa and Glendale).
Godina trains top international athletes like Vikas Gowda, Suzy Powell and Dan Taylor.