FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS, January 24 — The first stateside elite meet of the young ’21 season, American Track League #1, got off the mark with a spectacular bang: a first-throw 74-10½ (22.78) World Record by Ryan Crouser, who also sent his third heave longer than the previous global standard, 74-4¼ (22.66), set by Randy Barnes 32 years ago this month.
There was no mistaking the quality of the throw, which arced fully past the far edge of a black mat laid in the center of the Tyson Center infield positioned in the target zone for mortal throwers. Crouser spun through the throw with no trace of a hitch and hit the release with marked power.
Clearly, he harbors no intention to back down from the intensity of his history-making ’20 campaign, even as the coronavirus continues to challenge normalcy in training and travel. He lofted his second throw out to 69-0 (21.03), then hit another monster on his third: 74-5¾ (22.70), also over the old WR. He whirled two WR-territory fouls in rounds 4 and 5 and finished with 73-9 (22.48).
The indoor WR has “been a goal,” Crouser declared with a smile, “but it’s almost more like a stepping stone to the outdoor World Record I’m kind of always looking forward. I’m really happy to throw an indoor PR and be so close to my outdoor PR in the very first meet of this season.”
“That first one was a great first-round throw,” continued the Olympic champion, now in his second year as a Razorback volunteer assistant coach. “I would critique myself a little bit going forward from there. It’s difficult to [in] early season build on a throw like that. So I executed really well in the first round, which is one of the things that I tend to have a little bit of trouble with. So I did that really well and, but it put a lot of pressure on myself to build from there.
“So the second round I actually was really happy with that. They impounded my shot ’cause we had to weigh it [for WR certification]. I like to throw a soft shell and I went to throwing a hard shell, which I haven’t done really at all. And so I missed it off my hand, but I felt like that one was really good. By round 3, I got my own shot back and kinda got rolling again.… That [second throw], I felt like technically I set it up even better than the first and just missed it. I mean for any shotputter, you miss it off your hand, it’s not going to go far. So that one was kind of the one that got away, but I’m really content with overall coming back and later in the series throwing a 22.70-plus, another one at 22.40.
Read more on Crouser here.
Grant Holloway, too, was in record form. Record-equaling, that is. In his 60 hurdles heat, the 23-year-old outdoor world champion streamed over the barriers in 7.38 to equal the second-fastest clocking of his life from a year ago and set expectations for the final.
Holloway delivered, dominant again in the final and over the 5 barriers in 7.35 to equal his own American Record from ’19. He finished 0.19 clear of runner-up Michael Dickson.
“Coach [Mike] Holloway challenged me to execute the first hurdle to the best of my ability and I tried to do that as best I can,” Holloway told ESPN’s Lewis Johnson, adding, “Always expect a little faster. Job’s not finished, still have a whole lot of meets to go to. But this is a good start to the season.”
Dashing down the 60 straight on the flat, 100 Olympian Trayvon Bromell confirmed the comeback signs he showed distinctly last summer. He led the prelims with 6.58 and sprinted 6.48 in the final, just 0.01 off the PR he earned winning World Indoor gold in ’16, and 0.17 ahead of Divine Oduduru.
Fred Kerley took the 400 in 45.03, the third-fastest indoor clocking of his life and best since ’17.
Harvard alum Gabby Thomas did some ATL rewriting in the 300. Her 35.92 took the timed-sections final from Jenna Prandini (36.68) and a solid field, and moved her to No. 7 all-time world and No. 2 American in the rarely run event.
AMERICAN TRACK LEAGUE I MEN’S RESULTS
200m banked—
60: 1. Trayvon Bromell (US) 6.48 (0.01 off PR); 2. Divine Oduduru (Ngr) 6.65; 3. Andre Ewers (Jam) 6.67; 4. Marvin Bracy (US) 6.68; 5. Chris Belcher (US) 6.69; 6. Omar McLeod (Jam) 6.70; 7. Demek Kemp (US) 6.71; 8. Brandon Carnes (US) 6.72.
Heats: I–1. Oduduru 6.70; 2. McLeod 6.73; 3. Kemp 6.73; 4. Christopher Belcher (US) 6.75; 5. Senoj Givans (Jam) 6.77; 6. Davon DeMoss (US) 6.79; 7. Andre De_Grasse (Can) 6.79; 8. Keitavious Walter (US) 6.92. II–1. Bromell 6.58; 2. Bracy 6.72; 3. Carnes 6.74; 4. Ewers 6.74; 5. Tyquendo Tracey (Jam) 6.75 PR; 6. Rodney Rowe (US) 6.78; 7. Adam Gemili (GB) 6.81; 8. Cordero Gray (US) 6.84.
400: I–1. Travean Caldwell (US) 46.25 PR; 2. Nick Hilson (US) 47.47;… dnf—Quincy Hall (US).
II–1. Fred Kerley (US) 45.03; 2. Christopher Taylor (Jam) 45.73 PR; 3. Amere Lattin (US) 46.53 PR; 4. Kyle Clemons (US) 47.30.
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.35 =AR (=AR Holloway [Florida] ’19) (=3, =4 W);
2. Michael Dickson (US) 7.54 PR; 3. Ruebin Walters (Tri) 7.65; 4. Chad Zallow (US) 7.71; 5. Eddie Lovett (VI) 7.84; 6. Wellington Zaza (Lbr) 7.87; 7. Trey Holloway (US) 8.10.
Heats: II–1. Holloway 7.38 (x, =9 A).
Field Event
SP: 1. Ryan Crouser (US) 74-10½ (22.82) WR, AR (old WR, AR 74-4¼/22.66 Randy Barnes [US] ’89) (in/out: x, 9 W; x, 5 A) (74-10½, 69-0, 74-5¾ [x, 2 W, A] f, f, 73-9 [x, 7 W]) (22.82, 21.03, 22.70, f, f, 22.48);
2. Chuk Enekwechi (Ngr) 67-9 (20.65); 3. Payton Otterdahl (US) 67-7 (20.60); 4. Nick Ponzio (US) 65-6¾ (19.98).
ATL I WOMEN’S RESULTS
60: 1. Blessing Okagbare (Ngr) 7.17 PR; 2. Christania Williams (Jam) 7.18; 3. Kayla White (US) 7.20; 4. Morolake Akinosun (US) 7.20; 5. Gabby Thomas (US) 7.21 PR; 6. Teahna Daniels (US) 7.24; 7. Darryl Neita (GB) 7.29;… dnc—Keni Harrison (US).
Heats: I–1. White 7.18 PR; 2. Daniels 7.23; 3. Thomas 7.24 PR; 4. Caitland Smith (US) 7.33; 5. Brittany Anderson (Jam) 7.43 PR; 6. Sha’Keela Saunders (US) 7.63.
II–1. Williams 7.18; 2. Okagbare 7.19; 3. Akinosun 7.23; 4. Harrison 7.26; 5. Daryll Neita (GB) 7.29.
300: I–1. Jenna Prandini (US) 36.68 PR; 2. Ashley Henderson (US) 36.95 PR; 3. Cassandra Tate (US) 37.74 PR; 4. Ashley Spencer (US) 38.29.
II–1. Thomas 35.92 PR (7, 8 W; 2, 2 A);
2. Shakima Wimbley (US) 36.78; 3. Kyra Jefferson (US) 36.97 PR; 4. Sage Watson (Can) 37.90.
III–1. Harrison 36.83 PR; 2. Kori Carter (US) 37.53 PR.
IV–1. Kendall Baisden (US) 37.71 PR; 2. Daniels 38.52 PR; 3. Saunders 38.67 PR.
400: 1. Quanera Hayes (US) 51.76; 2. Shamier Little (US) 52.63; 3. Wadeline Jonathas (US) 53.10; 4. Lina Nielsen (GB) 53.27; 5. Sparkle McKnight (Tri) 55.13.
60H: 1. Tonea Marshall (US) 7.86 =PR; 2. Christina Clemons (US) 7.88; 3. Tiffany Porter (GB) 7.89; 4. Brittany Anderson (Jam) 8.06; 5. Taliyah Brooks (US) 8.07; 6. Spencer 8.25; 7. Isabelle Pedersen (Nor) 8.52.
Heats: I–1. Marshall 7.98. II–1. Porter 7.96; 2. Clemons 8.01.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Vashti Cunningham (US) 6-2¾ (1.90); 2. Rachel McCoy (US) 6-1½ (1.87); 3. Jelena Rowe (US) 5-11½ (1.82);
4. tie, Brooks & Ty Butts-Townsend (US) 5-11½; 6. Amina Smith (US) 5-9¾ (1.77).
PV(jumpoff): 1. Megan Clark (US) 14-9 (4.50); 2. Katie Nageotte (US) 14-9; 3. Marissa Kalsey (US) 14-1¼ (4.30); 4. Chloe Cunliffe (US) 14-1¼; 5. Jill Marois (US) 13-9¼ (4.20);… nh—Robin Bone (Can).
