Ryan Crouser Takes His Strength To Paris Olympics With Eyes On Gold
Jun 12, 2024, 9:47 AM
SALT LAKE CITY – American track and field athlete Ryan Crouser hopes that his strength can lead him to a third-straight Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Crouser competes in shot put and discus.
🚨 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD & WORLD TITLE 🥇
Ryan Crouser (@RCrouserThrows) almost didn’t come to these #WorldAthleticsChamps due to two blood clots in his leg but here he is, bringing home gold for @TeamUSA in the men’s shot put. pic.twitter.com/f31OxRMkSh
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 19, 2023
At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and the 2020 Tokyo Games, Crouser claimed the top spot on the podium in the shot put event.
While pursuing his degree at the University of Texas, Crouser became a decorated Olympian in 2016. He threw the shot put an impressive 73.89 feet.
He beat out fellow American Joe Kovacs eight years ago by nearly an entire meter.
Leading up to the Tokyo Games, Crouser entered his name into the record books. At the American Track League Meet, he recorded the fourth-best shot put throw ever at an astonishing 75.16 feet.
Ryan Crouser is back in action this month 🤠 pic.twitter.com/GLpK4Rvydi
— Throwers Universe (@ThrowersUni) June 11, 2024
Crouser went into the Olympic Games in 2021 with confidence and it showed. He set the world record for indoor and outdoor shot put with throws that exceeded 74.8 and 76.6 feet.
Following his performance in Tokyo, Crouser was named the World Male Athlete of the Year and was the recipient of the Jesse Owens Award.
Since 2021, Crouser has won a total of three gold medals across five competitions.
“The mental side is my strongest attribute,” Crouser said. “I’m actually on the weaker side compared to the strong guys. The thing that surprises you the most when you get the medal is that it’s heavy.”
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
