TOKYO -- Ryan Crouser had the greatest shot put series in Olympic history and became only the third man to win back-to-back golds in the event, coming near to his own world record in the final round with a massive 23.30m/76-5.5 to lead a 1-2 Team USATF finish for the second Games in a row.
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Just as he did in Rio five years ago, Joe Kovacs claimed silver, and his 22.65m/74-3.75 in round four was well past the previous Olympic record. New Zealand’s Tom Walsh made it a complete repeat of Rio by taking bronze with a 22.47m/73-8.75 on his last throw. According to historian Bill Mallon, it is the first time in Olympic track and field history that the podium positions have been repeated.
It seemed like competition in the event would last about five minutes, or more precisely until the seventh thrower in the rotation stepped into the ring as Crouser (Redmond, Oregon / USATF Oregon) promptly blasted an Olympic record 22.83m/74-11 that appeared to be all but unbeatable. Accepting the challenge set by Crouser, 2019 world champion Kovacs (Powell, Ohio / USATF New York) hit 22.19m/72-9.75 to take over second place.
Crouser tacked on another 10 centimeters in the second round and came near to his best in the next two rounds before Kovacs made things interesting. Kovacs had one final chance to match the magic that saw him take gold at the world championships two years ago in Doha, but his final toss of 22.60m/74-1.75 wasn’t quite enough.
That set the stage for Crouser’s final fling. Minus the baseball cap that had flown off in his first four attempts, he put everything and more into a last throw that landed only seven centimeters short of the world record he set at the Olympic Trials in June. It was the second longest throw in history and Crouser now owns six of the 10 best marks ever.
Payton Otterdahl (Horace, North Dakota / USATF Dakotas) had a best of 20.32m/66-8 on his only legal throw and placed 10th.
Men’s 110m Hurdles final
Grant Holloway (Gainesville, Florida / USATF Florida) was the heavy favorite coming into the final and got a very quick start to lead most of the way before Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment caught him and passed him meters before the line to win in 13.04, with Holloway taking silver in 13.09. Devon Allen (Annapolis, Maryland / USATF Potomac Valley) was fourth in 13.14.
Men’s Triple Jump final
Two-time silver medalist Will Claye (Buckeye, Arizona / USATF New York) had only competed in two meets before Tokyo and was in position for a third medal through three rounds after a season best 17.44m/57-2.75 put him in line for bronze. He came close to that on his final jump, going 17.36m/56-11.5, but ended up fourth by just three centimeters in a remarkable comeback from injury that saw him miss all of 2020. Competing at his first Olympics, Donald Scott (Ypsilanti, Michigan / USATF Michigan) finished seventh with a 17.18m/56-4.5 in round four that tied his season best.
Women's 4x100m Relay 1st round
The quartet of Javianne Oliver (Clermont, Florida / USATF Florida), Teahna Daniels (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern), English Gardner (Voorhees, New Jersey / USATF New Jersey) and Aleia Hobbs (Baton Rouge, Louisiana / USATF Southern) did the most important thing possible in the prelims of any relay -- they got the baton around quickly and safely. Starting in lane four, one inside Great Britain, Oliver put the squad in good position at the first exchange. Daniels, a 100m finalist, roared down the backstretch and made an efficient exchange with Gardner, who won gold in Rio on the same leg. The final exchange with Hobbs was a bit close but presented no real problems and Hobbs brought the stick home in 41.90 for second behind Britain’s national record 41.55, earning one of the automatic qualifying spots in the final on Saturday morning ET / evening in Tokyo.
Men’s 4x100m Relay 1st round
In heat two, Trayvon Bromell (Jacksonville, Florida / USATF Florida) Fred Kerley (Taylor, Texas / USATF Gulf), Ronnie Baker (Fort Worth, Texas / USATF Southwestern) and Cravon Gillespie (Pasadena, California / USATF Southern California) ran 38.10 for sixth and did not qualify for the final.
Women’s High Jump qualifying
Coming into the Games with the second highest jump of the year, world championships silver medalist Vashti Cunningham (Las Vegas, Nevada / USATF Nevada) was clear first time at her first three heights before needing three attempts at the automatic advancement mark of 1.95m/6-4.75. She went over safely and booked her appointment for Saturday’s final.
Rachel McCoy (Austin, Texas / USATF Texas Southern) went over 1.86m/6-1.25 on her second attempt and Ty Butts-Townsend (Louisville, Kentucky / USATF Kentucky) made 1.82m/5-11.5 on her second try, but neither woman advanced to the final.
Full session results are available on the World Athletics website. The next event begins at 3:30 A.M. ET / 4:30 P.M. local with the Men’s 20km Racewalk.
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USATF Medal Count (19)
Gold (4)
Women’s Discus Throw - Valarie Allman
Women’s 800m - Athing Mu
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin
Men’s Shot Put - Ryan Crouser
Silver (11)
Women’s Shot Put – Raven Saunders
Men’s 100m – Fred Kerley
Women’s 100m Hurdles - Keni Harrison
Women’s Long Jump - Brittney Reese
Men’s 400m Hurdles - Rai Benjamin
Men’s Pole Vault - Chris Nilsen
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Dalilah Muhammad
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase - Courtney Frerichs
Men’s 200m - Kenny Bednarek
Men’s 110m Hurdles - Grant Holloway
Men’s Shot Put - Joe Kovacs
Bronze (4)
4x400m Mixed Relay – Trevor Stewart, Kendall Ellis, Kaylin Whitney, Vernon Norwood
Women’s 800m - Raevyn Rogers
Women’s 200m - Gabby Thomas
Men’s 200m - Noah Lyles
World Records (1)
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin (51.46)
American Records (3)
Men’s 400m Hurdles - Rai Benjamin (46.17)
Women’s 800m - Athing Mu (1:55.21)
Women’s 400m Hurdles - Sydney McLaughlin (51.46)
Olympic Records (1)
Men’s Shot Put - Ryan Crouser (23.30m/76-5.5)
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