by Sam Fariss
In her column for Day 8, Sam Fariss writes about the US taking golds in both shot puts with Ryan Crouser and Chase Ealey.
Budapest WACs 2023 Day 8: America repeats sweep in shot put
By Sam Fariss
BUDAPEST – For a second consecutive World Athletics Championships, the United States has produced the gold medal winner in both men’s and women’s shot put. Chase Ealey and Ryan Crouser have now earned back-to-back world titles, Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023.
Crouser, who has dominated the men’s shot put competition for most of the past decade, seemed to be in top shape despite letting media know that he had recently found two blood clots in his left leg about three weeks ahead of the world champs.
“The medical staff has me on anticoagulant and blood thinners so that it is safe to compete,” Crouser said.
Disregarding the physical discomfort that he has been experiencing, Crouser neared his own world record of 23.56 meters which he earned in May of this year. His best toss of the day was 23.51 meters, an astonishing 77.13 feet.
“To still throw that, with 20 days of pretty terrible limitations, I think tonight was the best performance that I’ve ever had,” Crouser said.
Even though he fell short of setting a new world record, Crouser was able to break the previous world championship record. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri and fellow American Joe Kovacs joined him on the podium. Fabbri’s best of 22.34 meters earned him a personal record.
Following in her compatriot’s footsteps, Ealey seemed to find her rhythm as the women’s shot put competition progressed on day eight of the champs. Beating out Canada’s Sarah Mitton, China’s Gong Lijiao, and the Netherlands’s Jessica Schilder to top the podium.
Throwing a booming 20.43 meters on her penultimate attempt of the evening, Ealey safely secured her second world title. When she earned gold in 2022, Ealey became the first American woman to ever land in 1st place for the shot put event.
Ealey wasn’t facing easy competition, Lijiao has now earned eight medals on the world stage and Mitton holds the Canadian national record. However, the American’s winning heave was her season’s best after a few ups and downs throughout the year.
Ealey immediately ran to family and friends following the conclusion of the event and eventually teared up after letting the results fully set in.
Team USA also had Maggie Ewen in the shot put final, but she finished in sixth with a best throw of 19.51 meters. Mitton threw a season-best 20.08 meters for silver, and Lijiao earned bronze with a toss of 19.69 meters.
After Chase Ealey’s success in the shot put, the United States also brought home two more gold medals as the men’s and women’s 4×400-meter relay teams crossed the finish line first.
The final day of events in Budapest will host eight finals in which the US hopes to surpass their total medal count of 33 from the Eugene World Championships last year.
