As the countdown to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 continues, we shine a spotlight on some of the podium sweeps that have lit up past editions of the global showpiece.
This five-part series continues with a look back at USA’s dominance in the men’s shot put in Oregon in 2022.
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The stage was set for the men’s shot put to be a clash of two US titans at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
Joe Kovacs was a two-time world champion. Ryan Crouser was a double Olympic champion and world record-holder. Both men were in the form of their lives and felt capable of breaking the world record, especially with the support of the home crowd.
Like many US athletes, both Kovacs and Crouser knew Oregon intimately well. As well as hosting numerous collegiate meetings and the NCAA Championships, Eugene’s Hayward Field is home to the annual Prefontaine Classic and is a regular host of the US Championships.
Crouser has even deeper ties, having grown up in Oregon. He headed to the World Championships off the back of winning his second Olympic title in 2021, having also broken the long-standing world record that year, yet the world title had so far eluded him. He and others joked that he might have a unique curse.
Kovacs, meanwhile, entered the championships as the defending champion. Up until that point, he had taken gold or silver at every global championships he had contested.
Crouser made a statement with an opening effort of 22.21m, but Kovacs responded later that round with 22.63m. Just moments later, Crouser was bumped down to third place when US teammate Josh Awotunde threw a PB of 22.24m with his opening attempt.
Crouser soon round his rhythm, though, and improved to 22.71m in round two to take the lead. The positions and marks remained the same for the US trio until round five. Awotunde threw another PB, 22.29m, to consolidate his third place. Kovacs was next up and he sent his shot out to 22.89m to reclaim the lead.
Crouser closed out that round, though, and responded with 22.94m to move back into first place. Awotunde (22.22m) and Kovacs (22.42m) produced solid marks in the final round, but Crouser could not be caught. The double Olympic champion had finally won his first world title.
USA had achieved a medal sweep in the men’s shot put at the Olympics on seven occasions between 1900 and 1960, but this was the first time one nation had swept the medals in the shot put, men’s or women’s, at a World Championships. For the US to achieve the feat on home soil, and at Hayward Field – where US athletes contend for positions to represent their country – made it even more special.
Crouser and Kovacs had talked about a sweep for some time, having shared a podium often. “Josh stepped up huge tonight,” Crouser said at the post-competition press conference. “He set three personal bests, and had a big throw in round one to pass me, so it was awesome to be a part of it. I’m honoured to be a part of the first medal sweep for the USA in the shot put. I don’t think we would have had a sweep without the crowd.”
While many expected Kovacs and Crouser to make the podium, Awotunde made a name for himself with his performance. “These guys have been motivating me for a long time,” he said of his teammates. “I’ve been watching them since they started throwing YouTube videos and studying their technique.”
His studying, it seemed, paid off.
Even for Kovacs, who fell just five centimetres short of retaining his title, there was something uniquely satisfying about the moment. “This is my sixth medal in six championships and I’ve never seen three US flags,” he said. “There is no better feeling than that.”
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics