Ryan Crouser throws the shot put at the Paris Olympics. Credit: Shawn Price/Arkansas Athletics

Arkansas Razorback volunteer assistant track and field coach Ryan Crouser made history in Paris Saturday, becoming the first shot putter to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals after completing a throw of 22.9 meters using a novel throwing technique he conceived while training in The Natural State.

Crouser, 31, was uncertain if he would be able to compete for this third gold after dealing with a nagging elbow injury and torn pectoral muscle leading up the Paris Games. 

“This definitely was the sweetest victory of all of them,” Crouser said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Crouser’s USA teammate Joe Kovacs won the silver for the third consecutive Olympics, meaning he and Crouser stood at the Olympic podiums together in Rio, Tokyo and now Paris. Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica won bronze.

Crouser, a native of Oregon, now holds the world record and the Olympic record. After securing the three-peat on Saturday he achieved shot put G.O.A.T. status according to The Athletic.

Here’s the Crouser headline of the weekend from the LA Times: 

“How a ‘light bulb moment’ in an Arkansas barn made Ryan Crouser a shot put juggernaut.”

The “light bulb moment” came about during a nighttime training session in December 2022 when the 6-foot-7 Crouser adopted a new technique now known as the “Crouser Slide.” Rather than the more typical shot put starting stance at the back of the 7-foot circle, he begins at the right side, creating room to his left for a quick “slide step,” which increases the speed and power of his wind up. 

He used the method to break his own world record in May 2023, throwing the 16-pound ball 23.56 meters at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.

Crouser joined the Razorbacks as a volunteer assistant for the men’s track and field program in 2020. He lives in Farmington (Washington County).

Track and field runs in his family. His father, Mitch Crouser, was an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, throwing discus. His uncle Dean Crouser was a three-time NCAA champion at Oregon University, winning shot put and discus in 1982. His uncle Brian Crouser was a two-time NCAA javelin champion and a two-time Olympian. 

According to the Paris Olympics website, Crouser fuels his workouts by eating up to 5,500 calories a day.

Rhett Brinkley is the food editor at the Arkansas Times. Send restaurant tips and food selfies to rhettbrinkley@arktimes.com