The last time the US shot putter recorded a throw that was shorter than 22 metres was in April last year. Since then, he’s broken his own world record and currently owns 17 of the 21 throws beyond 23 metres.
And unfortunately for his rivals, the 30-year-old insists he’s still got a lot left in his tank.
When Crouser recorded his historic performance at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix in May by setting a world record of 23.56m, improving on his mark of 23.37m from 2021, the two-time Olympic champion stated: “I’m really excited because it didn’t feel polished. It felt like I had a tonne of power and I caught a big one.”
One can only wonder what a ‘polished’ throw from the defending world champion would look like, but that’s for his rivals to find out.
Crouser led the US to their first ever shot put sweep in Oregon last year, taking the crown with a championship record of 22.94m, with 2019 world champion Joe Kovacs taking silver, and Josh Awotunde (22.10m) the bronze. Thanks to Crouser’s wildcard as defending champion, the USA will field four men in the shot put, so their chances of another medal sweep will be improved with the inclusion of Payton Otterdahl.
The battle for medals will be intense, though. Two-time gold medallist Kovacs comes with a season’s best of 22.69m set during his first outdoor competition in 2023. Tom Walsh, meanwhile, has a best of 22.58m, but the New Zealander has finished ahead of Kovacs in three of their four clashes this season. Having finished fourth in Oregon last year, Walsh will be keen to make it back on to the podium.
His compatriot Jacko Gill has reached the final at the past six global championships, and after setting a PB of 22.12m earlier this year, the 28-year-old should fancy his chances of improving on his seventh-place finishes from 2019 and 2022.
Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell sits in fourth on the world lists with the national record of 22.22m he set in Madrid, more than two metres farther than his pre-2023 best. The 27-year-old has the ability to compete for medals, but this will be his first global championships.
Earlier this month, Olympic fifth-place finisher Zane Weir posted a PB of 22.15m to win in Vicenza. His teammate Leonardo Fabbri beat Walsh and Tomas Stanek at the Rome Diamond League with 21.73m, and improved his season’s best to 21.81m two weeks later. The Italian duo will hope to put up a formidable performance in Budapest.
World indoor champion Darlan Romani, the last man to beat Crouser at a major championships, has competed just once this year, throwing a best of 21.58m. But the Brazilian has finished in the top five at the past six global championships he has contested, so can never be ruled out.
Stanek, the 2021 European indoor champion, has a best this year of 21.90m, set when taking silver at the European Indoor Championships.
Other potential contenders include European champion Filip Mihaljevic, five-time Mexican champion Uziel Munoz multiple African champion Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Luxembourg’s Bob Bertemes.
Story: World Athletics
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