American Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, the first athlete in history to win three consecutive gold medals in the shot put event, revealed how his well-trained, powerful hand enabled him to dominate the competition and defeat his rivals year after year.
In the recently concluded Paris Olympics, Crouser once again won the gold medal after previously winning the golds in both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
After winning the gold medal, Crouser, who threw the 16-lb heavy ball into the field from his right hand, showed the difference between his shot put hand and his regular left hand. The hand he used for shot put is visibly bigger and stronger than his other hand, which enables him to throw the ball far enough to win continuous events.
The Olympic champion also revealed how his shot put hand cannot be bent at all, with his fingers remaining in position despite forceful pushing.
TV host Al Roker also tried to push Crouser’s fingers with no success, as the champion revealed that he had “little muscles in the finger” and that he had trained to improve his game.
Before participating in his first Olympics, Crouser intended to pursue football and play in the NFL. He described how he had an open tryout scheduled with the Indianapolis Colts, but that he decided to wait till the end of the Rio Olympics to take another shot at football. And that was all before he wound up winning the gold in Rio!
After a successful shot put event in 2016, Crouser decided to stick with the sport and went on to win a further three Olympic golds on the trot. On August 3, he finished highest on the podium with another American, Joe Kovacs, claiming silver, while Jamaican Rajindra Campbell won the bronze.
Crouser is now aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics, as he stated that retiring on home soil will be a dream come true. He will be 35 years old at that time, which also raises questions about whether the athlete would be able to perform equally impressively in that event or not. He will expect to keep his hand in good shape till then and is ready to go the extra mile to retire on a high note.
