CELEBRATION, Fla. — Friday night the Hot Saw competition lived up to its reputation as the fastest and loudest timber event in the Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge. And when the sawdust settled and the sound waves cleared, the No.1 seed, Harry Burnsworth of Mill Run, Pa., was awarded the second gold medal of his Games career.
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| Harry Burnsworth toppled Hot Saw's legend, Matt Bush, to take Games gold. |
"I have great confidence in my saw," he said. "I have more confidence in that saw than I do in myself. When you have such a great instrument, it inspires you to do better, and it gives you confidence in yourself."
That commanding saw weighs about 60 pounds and once it gets started, the sound it produces is downright deafening. When Burnsworth first laid eyes on the saw, he said "There was no way I can run that thing." He now affectionately refers to it as his "little girl."
Burnsworth started making noise in the semifinals when he set a new Great Outdoor Games record by finishing his three cuts in 5.94 seconds.
Last year's gold medal winner, Matt Bush of Croghan, N.Y., finished with the silver. During the finals matchup, Bush injured a finger on his last cut. As he received his medal, he could be seen icing down the swollen wound.
Back-to-back gold medal winner and former Cincinnati Reds catcher Mike Sullivan was able to capture the bronze medal in the consolation round. Sullivan won his two golds in 2002 and 2003. He edged last year's silver medal winner, Dave Jewett of Pittsford, N.Y., with an impressive time of 5.99 seconds.
Final standings
1. Harry Burnsworth, Mill Run, Pa.
2. Matt Bush, Croghan, N.Y.
3. Mike Sullivan, Winstead, Conn.
4. Dave Jewett, Pittsford, N.Y.
5. Jason Wynyard, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand
6. Rick Halvorson, Alma Center, Wis.
7. Dion Lane, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand
8. Arden Cogar Jr., West Hamlin, W. Va.
The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 13-17, 2005. Click here for the broadcast schedule.
