Olympic golden boy claims big check with record at downtown shot put

Reigning Olympic gold medalist and winner of the Downtown Shot Put Ryan Crouser jumps in the ring as he watches his final throw on Friday, April 21, 2017 at the intersection of Eighth and New Hampshire streets.

A light rain fell as did the thermometer, dropping below 50, hardly ideal conditions for an event best waged with bodies loosened by sunny heat and stabilized by a completely dry surface.

Toss in a smattering of boos when the meet announcer noted that he used to compete for the University of Texas, and this had the potential to shape up as a less-than-stellar first professional competition in his home country for reigning gold medalist and Olympic shot put record-holder Ryan Crouser.

Yet, shortly after the event ended, there he stood telling spectators who lined both sides of Eighth Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire: “This has been the most fun shot put competition I’ve done. You guys are the loudest crowd I’ve ever seen. This is my first meet back on American soil since winning the Olympics, so it’s definitely an awesome way to start and I just want to thank you guys for making it special.”

He clearly meant what he said.

Crouser not only won the seventh Downtown Lawrence Olympic Shot Put, he logged the three longest throws in the history of the event.

Going to Friday’s competition, Reese Hoffa held the meet record (71 feet, 3.75 inches, set in 2012). A $4,000 check hovered as a carrot for anyone who could top that mark and hold on to win Friday’s competition.

Suspense mounted as officials measured Crouser’s first throw. He fell 3-1/2 inches shy of tying Hoffa’s mark. No sweat. Crouser had five more throws to go. The crowd roared when his third attempt, a monster to straight center field, landed way out there and nobody was surprised when the announcer let the crowd know he had blasted a throw of 72-3.5, a quarter-inch shy of a full foot longer than Hoffa’s meet record. Crouser reached 71-8.5 on his fifth throw and broke his own record on the sixth and final one with a 72-6.5.

Crouser was presented with a monster novelty check for $4,000 and when asked what he would do with it revealed that as is the case with most world-class shot put athletes, his winning personality is just as oversized as his muscles and the cardboard check.

“That’s my first big check, so I might end up like Happy Gilmore with a few of them stuck in my back seat, trying to cash them,” Crouser said, referencing the title character portrayed by Adam Sandler in the 1996 golf comedy film. “We’ll see.”

Crouser is from Oregon, where his father and coach, Mitch Crouser, moved after signing with Nike upon graduation from the University of Idaho. Mitch was an alternate in the discus throw for USA in the 1984 Olympics as a discus thrower, and Mitch’s brother Brian twice qualified for the Olympics as a javelin thrower.

Mitch, sitting next to wife Lisa on the front row of one of the bleacher stands, didn’t need to hear official word on his son breaking the meet record. Dad’s expression revealed he knew his son had just earned $4,000.

“Today he was amped up with a ton of adrenaline, but technically in the ring, those weren’t very good throws,” Mitch said. “The crowd got him going with so much adrenaline. He was in there just blasting them. As the season goes on and he gets stuff ironed out, he can throw a lot farther.”

The day fueled not just the son, but the father as well.

“This was great. I’d never been here before, but I’d heard about it,” Mitch said. “Everybody said, ‘You’ve got to go to Kansas for the street shot.’ It definitely lived up to and exceeded expectations. I mean, it’s just amazing, such a cool event Lawrence has put on. . . . I really think for the shot, this needs to be the future of the event. It’s such close proximity for the crowd and it’s more exciting for the athletes.”

The shot put gold medalist had never been to Lawrence, but said he plans on returning.

“Even when I was a younger thrower, seeing this event for the past six years, it was something I always wanted to do, but just wasn’t able to with the collegiate season,” Crouser said. “To get such a great venue in the United States is rare because it’s such a European-dominated sport, so there are only a couple of meets on American soil that get this much energy.”

It took all of one throw for Crouser to develop synergy with the crowd.

“It was fun, even better than I expected. The energy was unreal, the crowd being right around the circle, and they really got into it, so it was a blast,” Crouser said. “They were cheering for everybody and out for everyone. It was fun to see.”

Josh Freeman placed second, heaving the 16-pound iron ball 68-7.25 on his third throw. Ryan Whiting, the only man to have competed in all seven street shots in Lawrence, placed third (67-11).

Kurt Roberts, another regular at the annual event, showed he knew how to win over the crowd. Upon being introduced, he waved a hybrid Jayhawk/American flag. He also wore a Jayhawk wrist band on his way to a fourth-place finish (66-8.25).

Unlike in past years, there never was a doubt as to the identity of the clear-cut favorite and Crouser delivered.

“He’s definitely a show guy, so when he hit that one around the record, I knew it was going to keep getting better,” said 2016 winner Tim Nedow of Canada. “It was fun to watch and be a part of. I was right after him as defending champ and I wish I could have responded. I was trying to respond, but it just wasn’t happening today.”

The day belonged to Crouser, 24, as will many, many more for the 6-foot-7, 300-pound mega-talent.

“As I got later in the series, distances started to pick up as well as the crowd energy,” Crouser said. “The louder the crowd got, the better I felt.”

The better he felt, the longer he threw. The longer he threw, the louder the crowd, which included Kansas basketball standout Devonté Graham. That sort of back and forth can only happen at live events, be they of the sporting or music variety, without much spacing creating distance between the performers and the witnesses.