Ryan Crouser is no doubt a shot-put legend! But even legends can’t always have it their way. Despite being a three-time Olympic champion, Ryan has lately been feeling the heat from his competitors. At the 2024 Diamond League Finals, Ryan Crouser had a second-place finish. He had his best throw at 22.79m which unfortunately fell short.

Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri went on to win the gold with his lifetime-best throw. And to make the loss a little more hurtful, this was Ryan’s second loss to Fabbri in 22 meetings. Despite the unfortunate results, Ryan Crouser was not one bit bitter! “I threw pretty well. It was a very solid performance,” he said. “Five times over 22 meters. I just didn’t have that big throw in me like the one Leonardo had.”

Spoken like a true champion! For Ryan Crouser, it wasn’t just the competition that was exhausting. He works on an extremely tight schedule. “Unfortunately, there is no vacation waiting for me. I have a lot of obligations with the media, etc. Not fun,” he added. After a strong season that even includes a gold from the 2024 Paris Olympics and five throws over 22 meters, one would assume Ryan would talk about some downtime.

But no, the grind to greatness continues for Ryan. Adding fuel to his grind is the fact that he had another close call earlier this season. At the Silesia Diamond League, he missed out on first place by just 0.02 meters. Joe Kovacs won with a throw of 22.14m, while Crouser managed 22.12m. Looking back at the narrow loss, Ryan went on to call it “a bad day at the office.” As the season ends, Ryan Crouser has his eyes on both redemption and rest. Although the latter still seems to be a far-off dream!

What’s brewing next in Ryan Crouser’s pot?

With his obligations stacking up, you might think Ryan Crouser’s slowing down. Unsatisfied with just a stack of golds from three different Olympic seasons and two World Championship titles, Ryan is getting ready to venture into a whole new arena. The 31-year-old legend is all set to launch his own American Shot Put League in 2025. Ryan is aiming for a full rollout by 2026. Ryan is following in the footsteps of celebrated sprinter Michael Johnson, who recently started the Grand Slam Track to promote the sport and its stars.

If that wasn’t enough, Ryan has also got his eyes set on something even bigger—the Arnold Classic. “My goal is to get shot put in the Arnold Classic, all the strongman competitions, to start featuring us,” he added. It is undoubtedly a stroke of genius. The Arnold Classic, after all, isn’t your average bodybuilding show. It’s a three-day festival celebrating all things strength, from the famous Strongman Classic to the newly introduced kettlebell throws. As Ryan Crouser starts penning the next chapter of his life, one thing is clear. Ryan is not slowing down any time soon; in fact, he is only just getting started.