The World Athletics has now ratified four records, including two top-class world records that were achieved prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Topping the list of world best performances were the 23.37 meters from Ryan Crouser in the men’s shot put and Sydney McLaughlin‘s 51.90 seconds mark at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials in June.
Ryan Crouser, Sydney McLaughlin U.S. Trials Performances Approved
At the American Trials held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, in June, Crouser fulfilled his lifelong goal of breaking the outdoor world record in the men’s shot put after adding 25 centimetres to the previous world mark of 23.12m which was set by countryman Randy Barnes in 1990.
READ MORE: Sydney McLaughlin smashes 400m hurdles world record at U.S. Olympic Trials
The 28-year-old supported that performance by successfully defending his Olympic title in Tokyo. On his way to winning the gold medal, Crouser shattered his own Olympic record with the second-best throw in history at 23.30m.
Meanwhile, the women’s 400m hurdles was another event that produced a world record at the U.S. Trials with Sydney McLaughlin lowering the previous mark of 52.16, set by world champion Dalilah Muhammad at the World Championships in Doha on 4 October 2019.
At the time, McLaughlin became the first woman to break 52 seconds in the 400m hurdles.
McLaughlin returned to back up her performance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo by smashing the world record again with a time of 51.46s which is pending ratification. Muhammad was second in the event in Japan with a time of 51.58s.
Erriyon Knighton Breaks Usain Bolt Record
Teenage sprinter Erriyon Knighton was another athlete who made the headlines at the US Trials. Before heading to Eugene, the 17-year-old had set a world U18 best of 20.11 for 200m, but that was just a taste of what was to come.
MORE READ: Crouser breaks world shot put record with 23.37m at U.S. Olympic Trials
He improved that to 20.04 in the heats of the US Trials, then clocked a world U20 record of 19.88 (1.1m/s) in the semifinals, breaking the mark of 19.93 set by Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt in Hamilton on 11 April 2004.
In the final one day later, Knighton went faster still, running 19.84 (0.3m/s) for another world U20 record (pending ratification) and booking his spot on the USA’s Olympic team.
Knighton went on to finish a highly creditable fourth at the Olympic Games, once again breaking the 20-second barrier.
Finland’s Silja Kosonen has in recent years emerged as one of Europe’s most promising young throwers.
The 18-year-old hammer thrower opened her 2021 campaign by setting a senior national record of 72.44m, which also broke the long-standing European U20 record set 20 years ago by the late 2000 Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska.
In late June Kosonen improved to 73.43m, breaking Zhang Wenxiu’s world U20 record of 73.24m, set in Changsha on 24 June 2005.
Kosonen, who won the European U20 title in July, competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and threw a solid 70.49m to finish 14th in qualifying, putting her in the top half of the field and ahead of several established senior performers.
She will now turn her attention to the World Athletics U20 Championships Nairobi 21, which begins on 17 August.
Men’s world shot put record
23.37m Ryan Crouser (USA) Eugene 18 June 2021
Men’s world U20 200m record
19.88 Erriyon Knighton (USA) Eugene 26 June 2021
Women’s world 400m hurdles record
51.90 Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Eugene 27 June 2021
Women’s world U20 hammer record
73.43m Silja Kosonen (FIN) Vaasa 28 June 2021
