Mixed Relay Team Dominates Competition On The Way To First Gold For U.S. On The Track
By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor
Logan Hannigan-Downs Photos
TOKYO – The legend of Ryan Crouser added another tale for the ages on Saturday at Japan National Stadium.
One full year since he last competed, the three-time Olympic champion and world record holder opened and closed his 2025 season with another global gold medal, his third at a World Athletics Outdoor Championship.
Crouser, who has been recovering from what he called a “compromised right elbow capsule,” summoned the strength to throw 22.34m on his final throw to separate from challengers Uziel Munoz of Mexico, Leonardo Fabri of Italy and Tom Walsh of New Zealand.
Crouser said he had no idea what to expect from himself in the competition because he had thrown hard so rarely over the summer in order to save his elbow and cling to the hope that it would hold together so that he could compete well in Tokyo.
“This World Champs is probably the most special to me,” Crouser said. “Every World Champs, every Olympics is different. But I’d say this was the most challenging from a mental side, from a physical side. This the third first time I’ve really thrown hard since last September.”
Crouser said he sustained damage, perhaps permanent damage, in his training ahead of the Paris Olympic Games last year.
He got through that unscathed, of course, winning his third Olympic title.
But in the aftermath of the season, as he sought to recover from his ailing elbow, he recalled doctors injecting “contrast” fluid to his elbow capsule for the sake of imaging and the material leaked out of the capsule and into his forearm.
Repairing the elbow so that it could withstand the rigors of weight training and throwing a 16-pound lead ball more than 70 feet has taken all of the year, and its been painful.
“It didn’t really start to see progress until May, so it was kind of a nightmare trying to get the elbow healthy,” he said. “In May, June we were taking maybe one baby step forward to make sure we didn’t take two steps back.”
Crouser had a free pass to the World Championships due to his victory in Budapest in 2023. He sat out of the U.S. Championships in order to give him as much time as possible to get prepared.
“You can never count that man out. He’s the world record holder,” said Tripp Piperi, who was dealing with a strained arch in his foot but managed to place sixth with 21.50m.
Crouser threw 21.99m on his…
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