Crouser has more in the tank after record throw

Ryan Crouser celebrating after winning the shot put silver medal at the 2019 world meet in Doha. On Sunday, he shattered the 32-year-old indoor mark with a 22.82m effort.
Ryan Crouser celebrating after winning the shot put silver medal at the 2019 world meet in Doha. On Sunday, he shattered the 32-year-old indoor mark with a 22.82m effort. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW YORK • Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser of the United States set a world indoor record of 22.82m at the American Track League series opener in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Sunday.

Crouser, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Games with an Olympic record of 22.52m, on his opening attempt bettered the 32-year-old mark of 22.66m set by compatriot Randy Barnes in January 1989.

The 28-year-old's 22.70m third attempt was also longer than the old world record.

This is the second indoor world mark recorded this year, after Burkina Faso's Hugues Fabrice Zango cleared 18.07m in the triple jump at a meet in Aubiere, France, on Jan 16.

Crouser finished off the meet with a throw of 22.48m, his third-best of the day, but still a mark that only two other men have ever exceeded indoors.

Fayetteville-based Crouser told World Athletics: "It's quite a start for me to 2021. It feels like it has been a long road to get back to some normal competitions.

"It felt like I had a ton of energy and the biggest thing that went through my mind was just relax, feel a rhythm.

"I lined that first one up and got an indoor PB which is just off of my outdoor all-time record... I feel like there's more there."

His outdoor personal best of 22.91m is joint-third on the all-time list alongside American Joe Kovacs and Italian Alessandro Andrei.

Barnes has held the outdoor world record of 23.12m since 1990, although he failed a doping test later that year.

REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 26, 2021, with the headline Crouser has more in the tank after record throw. Subscribe