The American giant surprised everyone at his third consecutive Olympic Games! But he was banned from performing.
Andrey Shitikhin August 3, 2024, 23:28 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Ryan Krauser became the first three-time shot put champion in history.
Two-time Olympic champion, multiple world champion, world record holder. These titles are enough to consider Ryan Krauser the undisputed favourite in shot put at the Paris Olympics. But he arrived at the 2024 Games as not a favourite at all, because in May he was completely banned from competing!
And what did you do in Paris?
Krauser, who last year set the throw at 23.56m, a prohibitive level, has had countless problems this season. First, damage to the ulnar nerve in his pushing arm. Then, a tear of the pectoral muscle. Then the ulnar nerve again. What kind of competition is there?
Krauser sets incredible world record
Ryan Krauser sets new world record in shot put
That was what the doctors decided, not allowing Krauser to compete even though he claimed to have recovered.
Meanwhile, the main rivals showed very good results. American Joe Kovacs, two-time Olympic silver medallist, shot 23.16 to take the lead for the season. Italian Leonardo Fabbri consistently pushed up to 23 metres and generally won all the tournaments he participated in.
Including the Diamond League stage in London, where Krauser also attended. Fabbri ran 22.95m, the second fastest of the season. Krauser spoke with modesty.
But in Paris he did what only champions do. The huge Ryan, who weighs one and a half centimetres, threw the shot put 22.64 m on his first attempt! With this attempt he simply knocked out his opponents. Fabbri, whose first attempt was not counted by the judges, never recovered consciousness and did not get into the medals, but Kovacs tried very hard and on his last attempt sent the shot put 22.15 m.
But it was enough for silver. For the third consecutive Olympic Games. Kenyan Rajindra Campbell showed the same result, but his other attempts were worse. And Krauser improved the result in the second attempt, then in the third, showing a result of 22.90 m.
He stopped there, becoming the first three-time world shot put champion in history. When everything was going against you.
