U.S. Olympic champion Ryan Crouser broke the 32-year-old world indoor shot put record, launching it 22.82 meters (74 feet, 10 inches) at an American Track League meet in Fayetteville, Ark., on Sunday.
Crouser, who came into the meet with the second- and third-best indoor throws in history, broke the record of 22.66 meters set by American Randy Barnes in 1989, before Barnes was banned for doping.
Two of Crouser’s six total throws on Saturday went farther than the old world record, the farther one landing beyond the landing mats. His previous best indoors was 22.60.
“It’s a pretty good start to 2021,” Crouser, who is 6 feet, 7 inches, and 310 pounds, said on ESPN.
Crouser and other throwers have long sought to take Barnes’ more prestigious outdoor world record off the books. Barnes set that mark of 23.12 meters in 1990, two months before testing positive for an anabolic steroid.
Crouser and Joe Kovacs, who took silver behind Crouser in Rio, both threw 22.91 meters outdoors over the last two years.
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