Olympic champion Ryan Crouser tossed a season-best 22.69m to win the men’s shot put title at the 2021 Arkansas Twilight track and field meet in Fayetteville, AR, on Friday (May 7). The mark improved his previous outdoor best for 2021 from 21.93m, set at the Drake Relays on April 24.
Strong Series For Crouser At Arkansas Twilight
Crouser, who set a world record 22.82m during a very productive indoor campaign earlier this season, enjoyed a very good series in the wet conditions at John McDonnell Field on Friday prior to poor weather conditions halting competition shortly after his victory.
Most Read and Follow: How you can stream the 2021 Arkansas Twilight Live
The American opened the first two rounds of the contest with marks of 22.42m, 22.53m, and 22.37m before scratching his fourth attempt.
After throwing 21.89m in round five, the 28-year-old, with the support of an audience, heaved the shot out to his winning mark of 22.69m to set a meeting and facility record in what was his second outdoor competition of the campaign.
It was the eight-best throw ever of his career behind his outdoor personal best of 22.91m.
USA’s world champion Joe Kovacs leads the world this season with a mark of 22.72m, done at the Ohio State Jesse Owens Invitational on May 1.
Meanwhile, finishing second to Crouser at the 2021 Arkansas Twilight on Friday was countryman Kevin Farley, who threw 17.28m with Michael Releford of Oklahoma State taking third place.
In the meantime, Taliyah Brooks of the USA took the top honor in the women’s long jump after cutting the sand at a wind-aided 6.84m. Brooks was well assisted by a positive 3.0 m/s wind which was way above the allowable 2.0 m/s legal measure.
However, she also had a wind-legal jump of 6.58m (1.0 m/s) in the fifth round which was also good enough to win the competition.
