Valencia, Spain - Victory celebrations vary from athlete to athlete. Some go positively ballistic and become oblivious to their surroundings. Once Christian Cantwell had locked up the shot put gold medal in Valencia, he walked over to the officials and volunteers who had worked the event and shook each one of them by the hand.

Then came the customary photo op during which he and fellow American Reese Hoffa posed with the Stars and Stripes held aloft. But it was a track side interview broadcast over the public address system which caught the attention of those occupying seats in the press tribune.

“I hope that when they bury me they bury me upside down so all my critics can kiss my ass,” he declared before the bemused Spanish crowd.

Later he would explain his comments were directed at people, whom he refused to name, that have noted his long history of mighty throws but lack of medal podium finishes.

“Whenever you don’t live up to their expectations they are pretty hard on you,” he said at the post event press conference. “They can all go to hell for all I care. But everyone who supports me, this (victory) is for them.”