Crouser Challenges World Record In Shot Put

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Ryan Crouser, a volunteer assistant coach with the Arkansas men’s track and field program, won the shot put title at the USATF Indoor Championships in impressive style Saturday as he broke the meet record with the second best indoor throw ever, a mark of 74-1 ¾ (22.60) which came within less than three inches of the 31-year-old world record.

Finishing among the top two places at this year’s U.S. Indoor Championships normally would have secured a position on the United States team competing the 2020 World Indoor Championships, but the recent coronavirus outbreak in China postponed the event, which was scheduled to be held in Nanjing from March 13-15, until 2021.

Crouser entered the meet as the world leader from his winning effort of 72-9 ¾ (22.19) at the recent Millrose Games. Producing four marks that surpassed 70 feet in his series, Crouser dominated the field of 19 throwers. Runner-up to Crouser was a mark of 68-5 (20.85).

In the fourth round, Crouser unleashed his top distance of 74-1 ¾, which challenged the world record of 74-4 ¼ (22.66) set in 1989 by Randy Barnes. Crouser’s previous best indoor mark of 73-3 ¼ (22.33), set at the 2019 Millrose Games, ranked fourth on the all-time world list.

“I was real happy with it and even surprised myself a little bit,” said Crouser, who bettered the meet record of 72-11 ¼ (22.23) set in 2014 by Ryan Whiting. “It’s just my second time throwing hard all year. I’ve been working on what I need to fix, and I felt like I did a good job of it. I still have stuff to work on.”