Ryan Crouser, world and Olympic shot put champion, completed his title collection in crushing fashion at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Glasgow 24 with a championship record of 22.77m.
During a thrilling first evening session in the Glasgow Arena on Friday (1), Crouser was one of four winners – Christian Coleman winning a 60m battle, Nicola Olyslagers prevailing in the high jump and Noor Vidts retaining the pentathlon title. Their victories followed Sarah Mitton’s triumph in the women’s shot put during the morning session.
Silver two years ago in Belgrade was the closest Crouser had managed to get to a world indoor title until a session in which he demonstrated his unique and virtually unassailable talent.
While Crouser had never stood atop the podium at this event before, it had happened twice, in 2016 and 2018, for New Zealand’s Tom Walsh.
And he raised flickering hopes of a third world indoor title on his 32nd birthday as he produced a first-round effort of 22.07m.
But that flickering candle was snuffed out pronto by the irresistible power of Crouser, whose own first throw of 22.36m established him in a lead he never looked faintly likely to lose.
By the close he had produced four throws beyond anything his rivals could come up with. The longest of them, a fifth round of 22.77m, was a championship record.
Walsh got a present of sorts, however, as his opener turned out to be good enough for silver, with Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri taking bronze with 21.96m. – WORLD ATHLETICS
