World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024: Can USA’s Olympic Champion Ryan Crouser Conquer Shotput at Glasgow?

The World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024, the highly anticipated track and field event for the year, is beginning to make its mark along the nearing dates. Over 600 athletes from nearly 130 nations await to lock horns in the battle of the best at the Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland. With numerous possible records and fresher feats awaiting their pick, shot put icon, Ryan Crouser is on his way to claim one for himself.

Ryan Crouser has been a prominent force in the shot put realm. From Olympic triumph to multiple gold finishes at World Championships, Crouser has proven his excellence repeatedly. However, among the many presented feats, one remains missing from the champion’s list of accolades. Will the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 offer a groundbreaking record for the 2-time Olympian?

Ryan Crouser’s chances at World Indoor Athletic Championships 2024

World Athletics tags Ryan Crouser as ‘the most dominant shot putter in history,’ owning to his many records. The 31-year-old’s position heading into World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024 presents a completed checklist of titles; well put forth by NBC Olympics and Paralympics. Despite the glistening list going forth, Crouser needs to be on his toes for the competition ahead to tick off the boxes.

During the 2022 World Indoor Athletics Championships, Ryan Crouser was bested by his Brazilian opponent, Darlan Romani. Ryan had started the event with a record of 22.44m. However, Romani stepped ahead as he put up 22.53m. So when the latter makes his presence at the awaited event soon, the 2-time Olympian needs to gear up to face the formidable opponent. More so, with Romani being one of the 10 in the field with a PB beyond 22 meters.

Crouser will further face a notable force from Leonard Fabbri, who was last year’s silver medalist at the World Championships. Two-time world indoor champion, Tom Walsh and 2019 World champion, Joe Kovac, make the rivals next for Crouser. While competition is one to have people on the edge of their seats, Ryan Crouser may prove to be dominant, courtesy of his feats so far.

Self-coached to dominant shot putter

Ryan Crouser started his journey to his current stance as a senior in high school as a self-coached athlete. The 2-time Olympic gold medalist recorded 72.40 m to break the national high school record in 2011; thus marking a recognizable beginning. From then on, Crouser’s run through the biggest of stages is news to not many in the field.

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The champion currently holds the record for the farthest throw ever of 23.51 m and has been named male world athlete of the year. For 2024, Ryan secured the US indoor title 22.80m, just 2cm short of the indoor record he set in 2021. With numbers on his side and formidable opponents on the other, the result only remains true to the future at the World Indoor Athletics Championships 2024.