American shot putters Joe Kovacs and Ryan Crouser are now the two best shot putters of all time. Both are aiming for the world record next summer.
The World Cup men’s shot put final in the fall of 2019 has gone down in history as one of the wildest prestigious athletics finals of all time.
At the time, the U.S Joe Kovacs celebrated the world championship with his record 22.91. The duller medals were narrowly missed by a compatriot Ryan Crouser and New Zealand Tom Walshwho both broke their records with 22.90.
At least then by Randy Barnes the world record of 23.12 held by the trio since 1990 began to look within reach of the trio, and now two of them have already reached it. Crouser broke the ME in June 2021 at the US Olympic qualifiers with a result of 23.37. He has since surpassed Barnes’ world record four times.
Kovacs had to wait for the 23-meter crossing after his world championship in Doha for another three years, until it went smoothly in Zurich in September 2022: the second-best result of all time is now recorded at 23.23.
– I’m really excited. I’ve pushed so many times over 22.80 so this has been building for a long time. It’s great to finally cross 23 meters. I believe there are even better opportunities, Kovacs rejoiced on the website of the International Association of Athletics Federations on Wednesday.
For Crouser, 29, the loss was the first in three years. However, with a result of 22.74, he showed that he had recovered from the coronavirus disease that had plagued him for a long time.
In recent years, Kovacs, 33, has been overshadowed by his American colleague both in prestigious competitions and on the record list, but he does not consider it only a bad thing. He says that he is not about to stop his career for a long time.
– Ryan and I take the sport forward. If you want to succeed, you have to improve all the time. Although it is annoying and difficult, it develops the sport. I’m grateful for that. I know Ryan will push further in the future, so I have to push further next year too.
Will we see 23.5 meters next year?
Although the world record was not improved this summer, the season was historic. For the first time in the same year, two men have exceeded 23 meters.
Ryan Crouser pushed his season’s best 23.12 in the US championships during Midsummer week. The phantom line is starting to become routine for Crouser, even though a few years ago he won almost every race after crossing 22 meters.
So is 23 meters the new 22? The question makes Crouser laugh.
– I hope not, because when I started regularly pushing 22-meter ones, so did the others. I hope 23 is just for me,” Crouser said in June.
Kovacs expects tough standards from next season, even though there are big changes in civilian life ahead. Spouse who is Kuulamörssäri’s coach Ashleigh Kovacs is pregnant and expecting twins.
– I hear from people that there is a lot of sleep debt with twins. I hope to get enough sleep to start the season and be in good shape. I don’t want to take steps back, but stay at this level. Now that I have broken 23 meters, my goal next season is 23.50, Joe Kovacs said with enthusiasm and added:
– I wanted to make sure I won here because so much money goes into diapers!
Crouser is also chasing his own record – i.e. a new world record – every season from now on. The next World Cup will exceptionally take place only after a one-year break in August 2023 in Budapest. Crouser’s race record of 22.94 is again in danger.
– I believe that 23.50 is possible. That is my goal for the near future. I would like to push over 23.70 because seven is my lucky number, Crouser said.
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Comment: What was your first thought when Ryan Crouser broke the 31-year-old shot put world record?