Rivals poised to unleash shot at something special Clark’s long day at the office well rewarded
Longstanding world mark tipped to fall, reports Marc Hinton.
When burly American Ryan Crouser launched the silver sphere out to the 22.52m mark in the Olympic final in Rio, it was the shot heard round the world. But buckle in, because if he’s as good as his word, he’s only getting started.
The 24-year-old San Diego-based American arrives in New Zealand on Tuesday for meets in Christchurch (January 19) and Auckland (January 26) in which he will take the headline spot in the finest shot put field assembled in this country.
The Big Shot in Christchurch’s city centre and the Auckland Track Classic a week later will feature four of the top 10 finishers from the Rio Olympics, led by Olympic gold medallist and record-holder Crouser, and also Rio bronze medallist Tom Walsh of Timaru, fellow Kiwi Jacko Gill (ninth) and Aussie ace Damian Birkinhead (10th).
Toss in two-time world indoor champ Ryan Whiting of the United States − a man who has a PB of 22.28m − and you have a legitimate world-class field. For shot putobsessed Kiwis, it is manna from heaven.
Crouser’s participation is a coup, for the big American is one of the studs of world track and field on the back of his monumental Rio throw – a Games record and ratification of his emergence as the strongman the rest of the world are now chasing. To see him matched up against Walsh and Gill is an enticing prospect, especially when you hear what he has to say about the two high-rising Kiwis, and the elite young core at the top of the sport in general.
Crouser, in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Star-Times from his California base, spoke glowingly of both Walsh and Gill and predicted that both would be part of a core group of shot put exponents who would gobble up the elusive world record in the next year or three.
That mark of 23.12m, set by American Randy Barnes in 1990, has widely been considered untouchable in the modern drugtested era. But no longer, if Crouser is any guide (and it has to be said it’s a view which has also been endorsed by Walsh).
‘‘There has never really been a group like this – such a young group throwing so far – ever before, especially in the era of track and field since drug-testing,’’ said Crouser. ‘‘To have so many clean athletes throwing so far, it’s really something special. I think, if not this year, definitely before the next Olympics, we’ll see the world record fall and I wouldn’t be surprised if it falls multiple times.’’
Really? Twenty-three metres and beyond?
‘‘It is very realistic, not only for me, for the other guys,’’ responds Crouser, a 2.01m, 132kg colossus who graduated last year from the University of Texas. ‘‘It’s definitely physically possible. The group we have competing right now are all really driven, hard-working athletes, and all really competitive. None of us like to lose, and that competitive attitude at the top is going to create a throwing culture you haven’t seen in a long time.’’
Walsh, clearly, is right at the forefront of that chasing group. He has beaten Crouser three times out of the five they’ve gone head to head, and did finally top the 22m mark while winning his first Diamond League crown post his bronze medal effort (of 21.36m) in Rio.
Crouser labels Walsh arguably the finest technician in his sport, and clearly has a mountain of respect for the kilt-wearing, fasttalking pride of Timaru.
‘‘Tom’s a great guy, and any meet he’s at is fun. But he also makes me a little nervous because he’s a fierce competitor who can always throw far. He’s one of the characters in track and field, and when we’re competing he’s always making people laugh. But I’ve never seen anyone who can be making jokes one minute, and then when it’s his turn to throw, lock in and get so intense.
‘‘He’s a great thrower, and quite an innovator. He has a technique that differentiates him from a lot of the traditional rotational guys. He’s smaller (1.85m and 120kg) and he’s really fast and aggressive the way he throws. It will be really interesting to see what he can do with that. He’s still young, and he’s definitely not one of the strongest guys. The biggest thing with Tom is he throws so far at a relatively light weight and not being very strong. He’s one as he gets older will definitely continue to improve.’’
Crouser also has plenty of respect for Gill, the age-grade world record-holder and 22-year-old from Auckland who has already thrown over 21m this year.
‘‘I’ve watched Jacko since I was in high school. I remember when he was breaking the age-group records every year. It was unbelievable the distances he was throwing, and still is. A lot of people don’t give him credit but he’s a kid in his early 20s throwing 21m which is pretty incredible. Only a few have ever done that.
‘‘The numbers he put up when he was younger are almost untouchable. For him it’s just adjusting as he gets older, getting used to the heavier ball and the professional career. He has unbelievable potential, and just needs some time. He’s physically as talented as anyone I’ve seen.’’
Crouser, like everybody aiming to peak for the world champs in August, is in a heavy phase of his training. But he’s still picking a decent competition unfolding in Christchurch and Auckland.
‘‘This is my first year as a fulltime professional athlete, and I’m way ahead of where I’ve been in the past. I’m hoping to be definitely over 21 metres.
‘‘Having that many 21m-plus throwers in a competition is always special. Tom looks like he’s in pretty good shape, Jacko has already thrown far, Ryan is a twotime indoor world champ coming off knee surgery but is always pretty consistent, and is a seasoned thrower. Throw another 21m guy from Australia in the mix and you should see some good competition.
Crouser, of course, will take some beating. Especially now he is, well, unencumbered as a thrower.
‘‘The 22.52 [in Rio] was a long time coming,’’ he reflects. ‘‘I threw 21.09 when I just turned 20, but I had been in the college system five years, had done a lot of strength work and training, but with the schoolwork I could never get things to come together like I wanted.
‘‘There was always a lack of sleep, a school project to do, and that stress that goes with being a fulltime student. I had four or five years training, all leading to one peak now school’s done.
‘‘I finished [at Texas] in May last year, and from there I could really feel throwing come together as that stress from school went away.’’
Rio was the spectacular result. A shot that made the world sit up and take notice. Sam Clark couldn’t contain his emotions after defending his longest day Coast to Coast title in stunning fashion yesterday.
The Whakatane multi-sport athlete completed a remarkable comeback to beat three-time champion Braden Currie, when he crossed the line at New Brighton, Christchurch,11 hr 2min 43sec after starting on the West Coast.
‘‘Never stop fighting. It’s not over until it’s over,’’ a euphoric Clark yelled after turning around a 12 minute deficit at the start of the penultimate leg – the 67km kayak.
‘‘I can’t even think straight. I don’t think I’ve ever focussed so hard in my life,’’ he said.
Nobody could blame him for being pumped up at the end of the arduous 243km race across the South Island.
At one point during the 30km mountain run, he lagged 17 he had nothing left 10km out from the race finish, and was afraid the amount of caffeine gels he took down the stretch would give him a ‘‘brain hemorrhage’’.
He was quick to congratulate Currie with a hug when he finished in second place.
Currie, who won the title between 2013-15, said his legs were shot after the kayak.
‘‘Sam had a great day. He really, really well.
‘‘This race means a lot to me. I came back to try to win back my title. I didn’t get there and that’s always pretty hard to swallow.’’
The Wanaka athlete denied his fast start to the mountain run burnt him out, instead pointing to a lack of paddling the past couple of years.
He and Clark were in a ninestrong cycle group which hit the first transition at Aickens Corner, near Otira, together but quickly spread out when they got on foot. raced
As disappointed as Currie was after not winning the event for the first time in four attempts, he vowed to return next year to get the taste of defeat out of his mouth.
‘‘If I want to take the win and if I want to be world champion in the Coast to Coast again, I’ve got to do the work and focus on it more.’’
In the women’s race, Elina Ussher also needed to overturn a deficit on the final leg to notch her fourth title.
Ussher had a ding-dong battle with South African Robyn Owen and trailed the debutant by almost seven minutes at the end of the kayak leg.
But despite a head wind, she romped home on the bike to win in 13hr 11min 39sec and join Jill Westenra with four titles to her name. Only Kathy Lynch (five) has won more.
Ussher held a commanding lead after the first 55km bike leg but Owen came storming back during the mountain run.
She turned a 15 minute deficit into a four minute one at the start of the kayak on the Waimakariri River, before putting her expertise on the water to use. However, Ussher couldn’t be denied on the bike, storming home by more than 18 minutes.