Ryan Crouser shatters world record in men’s shot put at Olympic trials

Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the margin by which Crouser bested the previous world record.

Reigning Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser entered the U.S. Olympic track and field trials as the indoor shot put world-record holder. Crouser now has inserted his name into the outdoor record books.

Crouser broke the world record in the men’s shot put with a monster throw of 76 feet, 8¼ inches. The Oregon native set the record during his fourth attempt, crushing the previous mark by 10 inches, in the final on Friday evening.

The previous world record was 75-10¼, set by Randy Barnes in 1990.

“It still hasn’t quite set all the way in,” Crouser said Friday night. “I got the indoor record this year. This one definitely meant a lot more. It was one that I’ve been after for a long, long time.”

Crouser emphatically stamped his ticket to Tokyo. His world-record throw easily won him the competition at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. Joining Crouser at next month’s Olympics will be runner-up Joe Kovacs (73-3½) and Payton Otterdahl (71-11), who finished third.

Ryan Crouser celebrates after setting a world record during the finals of men's shot put at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 18, 2021, in Eugene, Ore.

Ryan Crouser celebrates after setting a world record during the finals of men’s shot put at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials on June 18, 2021, in Eugene, Ore.

Entering this year’s Olympic trials, the men’s shot put was considered one of the most competitive events. It lived up to the hype. The top five finishers in the men’s shot put all threw over 70 feet.

“One of the deepest competitions in history. Without a doubt the deepest shot put competition in history coming from one country,” Crouser said.

Crouser and Kovacs finished first and second at the 2016 Olympics. The two are the favorites once again to land on top of the podium.

Yet, it was Crouser who stole the show Friday.

“Any time somebody’s able to throw that far, it’s good for the sport. It’s good for publicity. It’s good that everybody else who is going to watch the Olympics, there’s an event to watch, it’s the shot put. And you guys should all tune in for it,” Kovacs said.

Kincaid wins 10,000 to earn first trip to Olympics

Woody Kincaid used a ferocious kick to pull away and win the men’s 10,000 meters, securing his first trip to the Olympics with a time of 27:53.62.

Kincaid, 28, will be joined in Tokyo by two other first-time Olympians: Grant Fisher, who came in second, and Joe Klecker, who finished a close third. Both are 24 years old.

Each of the Olympic qualifiers hovered toward the front of the pack for the majority of the race before Kincaid, a Colorado native who ran collegiately at the University of Portland, bolted down the stretch. He ran the last lap of the 25-lap race in a blistering 53.47 seconds.

Allman breaks record in women’s discus

Women’s discus thrower Valarie Allman etched her name in the record books.

Allman set both a U.S. Olympic trials and stadium record with a throw of 229 feet, 8 inches (70.01 meters) in the qualifying round of the women’s discus. Allman’s mark is the second best in the world this year.

The women’s discus final is scheduled for Saturday at 6:42 p.m. PT. Allman is the heavy favorite to win.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Crouser sets world record in men’s shot put at US Olympic trials

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