It's become a quadrennial tradition to say it: Ryan Crouser has won shot put gold.
Already among the all-time great Olympians, Crouser now enters a category of his own. The 31-year-old American is the first shot putter ever — man or woman — to win three gold medals.
After winning gold at each of the last two Olympics, Crouser clinched gold No. 3 on Saturday in Paris with a throw of 22.90m.
“Throwing a 16-pound ball as far as you can for a living beats you up," Crouser said. "Three golds is a testament to that, to be the first to win three golds."
U.S. teammate Joe Kovacs claimed his third consecutive Olympic silver medal with a clutch 22.15m toss on his sixth attempt through torrential rain at Stade de France. Just behind him, Jamaican Rajindra Campbell became the first person — man or woman — in his nation’s history to earn a shot put medal of any kind, taking the bronze.
This night was all about Crouser, however, from start to finish. What makes Crouser's historic accomplishment even more exceptional are the brutal injuries and health issues he's trudged through. He won the 2023 World Championships despite having two blood clots in his left leg, risking it all to make the cross-Atlantic flight to Budapest with the clots.
Early in 2024, he injured the ulnar nerve in his throwing elbow, a brutal diagnosis for someone whose livelihood stems from hurling a 16-pound metal ball. A month later, he tore a pectoral muscle while bench pressing. He subsequently underwent two procedures. That all put his status for Paris in doubt. Doctors didn't even clear him to throw until early in the summer. But as always, Crouser rallied.
"You're dealing with a lot of self-doubt," he said before the Olympics. "I would try and throw, wouldn't be able to, and then I'd have to spend a week rehabbing.
At the back of your mind, it's like, 'Man, at 31, am I ever going to get past this?'
In spite of all that, Crouser is an Olympic champion again.
"I’m just honored," Crouser said after his third Olympic medal ceremony. "This year hasn’t been easy with so many setbacks.
"It’s made it all the more special to be out there tonight. There were a lot of times I thought I might not be."
Crouser was born into a family of throwers. His father, Mitch, was a discus alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. His uncle, Brian, and cousin, Sam, competed in three Olympics combined as javelin throwers. Now, this son of throwing is an unparalleled icon of the sport. World record, three Olympic golds, a technique (the "Crouser slide") named for him — Crouser is shot put's all-time great.
Joining Crouser on the podium is his longtime U.S. teammate Kovacs, who took silver at both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Kovacs is now an Olympic silver medalist for the third time. Competing during Crouser's prime, his timing hasn't been ideal. But the 35-year-old's résumé now features two world titles (2015, 2019) and three Olympic silvers.
"Of course I wanted the gold, but I’m really proud of how I did that last throw," Kovacs said of the 22.15m launch that clinched his silver medal. "I had to go to a pretty deep place to find that. I’m really proud. It’s that focus that I’m proud of.”
But on Saturday, as has been the case after three consecutive Olympic finals, Kovacs stands just below Crouser on the podium. Crouser, not Kovacs, is the man of the moment.
It's routine, near automatic, to declare Crouser a gold medal-winner. And that's why it's so astonishing.