The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Ryan Crouser set to defend his shot put title at the 2024 Olympic Games
06.22.2024 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Former Longhorn wins fifth-straight USA shot put title with fourth-round throw.
EUGENE, Ore. – Texas Ex Ryan Crouser won his fifth-straight USA shot put title at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field to return to his third-straight Olympic Games. Fellow Texas Ex Tripp Piperi was seventh in Saturday's final.
The top-three finishers at the track and field trials earn automatic spots on the official Team USA roster.
Crouser was the first Longhorn to reach the Olympics for Team USA after winning the shot put with his fourth-round throw of 22.84m (74-11.25). In his opening outdoor performance of the season, Crouser threw over 22 meters four times. Crouser looks to become the first Olympian in history, man or woman, to win three-straight gold medals in the shot put. He also becomes the first-ever Longhorn in men's track and field history to make the Olympics three times for team USA.
Joe Kovacs (22.43m) and Payton Otterdahl (22.26m) will join Crouser Paris. Piperi was seventh with his third-round throw of 21.05m (69-0.75).
Former Texas long jump standout Steffin McCarter advanced to the finals after finishing 11th overall with his jump of 7.81m (25-7.50). McCarter is looking to return to the Olympics for the second time in his career after making it to Tokyo in 2020. Rising senior Jathan Belaire finished 23rd with a jump of 7.32m (24-0.25).
On the track, recent graduate Marcellus Moore advanced to the 100-meter dash semifinals running a personal-best time of 10.06. It was the seventh-fastest time overall.
Texas Ex Morolake Akinosun finished 11th in the women's 100-meter semis with her time of 11.14 just missing the top-9 spots to reach the finals.
Lauren Lewis led the three Longhorns in the 400-meter semis with her time of 51.55 for a season best and finished 16th. Courtney Okolo (52.11) and Ziyah Holman (53.00) finished in 21st and 26th, respectively.
Players Mentioned
