The field events had a very strong showing at the USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque last weekend. While there were many impressive performances throughout the competition, including Daniel Haugh’s world-record-setting throw in the men’s weight throw, two of the best shot putters in history showed why they are the class of their respective event.
Ryan Crouser and Chase (Ealey) Jackson won their respective shot put competitions in impressive fashion and punched their tickets to the World Athletics Indoor Championships in the process.
Crouser had an impressive showing against a strong field of throwers. He threw a new world-leading mark of 22.80m, which was less than an inch from his own indoor shot put world record. Ryan tallied a mark in all six attempts at the USATF Indoor Championships, with his winning throw coming in the fifth round.
A two-time Olympic Gold medalist (Rio and Tokyo), Crouser has never stood atop the podium at a World Athletics Indoor Championships, and will look to change that next week. At the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, he came away with a silver medal, coming up short to Darlan Romani of Brazil by less than a tenth of a meter.
Jackson had a great day in the shot put ring, as she put away a strong group of competitors with her winning throw of 20.02m. Her mark gives her the world-lead in the event headed into the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow. Chase threw her winning mark in the third round of competition, though her first attempt of 19.48m would have been enough to win the day. Like Crouser, Jackson holds the current indoor shot put American Record at 20.21m (tied with Michelle Carter). In another similarity, she also earned a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade in 2022, which is where she tied Carter’s American Record effort. Auriol Dongmo (20.43m) of Portugal came out on top at those Championships.
The Glasgow World Indoor Championships will take place from March 1 – 3, 2024, with the shot put competition for the women coming on Day 1 in the morning session, and for the men on the same day in the evening session.
