Ryan Crouser Wins World Championship Gold Despite Stress and Adversity From Blood Clots in Leg

Ryan Crouser overcame 20 exceedingly difficult days that he informed “have been some of the most frustrating and stressful of my life” due to two blood clots that were detected in his lower leg.

The shot put world record holder noted that emergency mode kicked in as he wondered, “What’s the safest treatment?” and “Are world championships even a possibility?” 

The two-time defending Olympic champion informed that his medical team explained the risks and have done everything to mitigate them, while leaving the decision about competing in Budapest up to him and his family. He opted to go, while informing that the medical staff has him on blood thinners to minimize any potential risk.

Crouser was arguably the main attraction on opening night of the World Athletics Championships competing under the lights at Hungary’s National Athletics Centre.

The 30-year-old overwhelming favorite in an event that he has dominated all season didn’t disappoint. Crouser uncorked a massive world championships record of 23.51 meters (77 feet 1 ½ inches) on his sixth and final throw, repeating his gold medal performance from Eugene, Oregon, in 2022.

“On a personal level, I think this one means a lot more – I had a lot more issues with this one,” Crouser said about the Budapest performance, shortly after posing for photos draped in the American flag. 

“We battled through a lot with this one. Best performance of my life considering all of the issues, so I’m very proud of it. 

“I’m just happy to compete,” he added. “I was diagnosed now 10 days ago.”

“The biggest issue tonight was if on the slightest chance if I did have an issue come up, It would be difficult to diagnose a pulmonary embolism. It’s the biggest risk I have. 

“It could be difficult to diagnose at a world championship because you have a little bit of difficulty breathing, elevated heartrate, tightness in chest – those are all symptons of world champs as well.

“I sat down with the doctor and we had to figure out how do we differentiate between those two.

Crouser noted that he is on a high dosage of Eliquis as prescribed by his doctor.

“But I felt really good in my mental headspace tonight,” he noted. “Limited anxiety.”

His performance showed.

Crouser’s winning sixth round toss on a warm and humid Saturday night was a mere five centimeters shy of his own personal best and world record of 23.56 meters (77 feet 3 ¾ inches). He set that mark in Los Angeles on May 27.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound behemoth had already clinched his second consecutive title, as none of his 11 competitors could match his opening round mark of 22.63 meters from about an hour earlier.

Crouser urged on the Budapest audience and proceeded to improve upon his own championship record from the opening throw of the evening. It electrified the crowd.

He said that preparations have been exceedingly difficult and he was forced to skip a pre-event training camp in Europe. The health risk remains a concern. 

“Next step is getting back and home and then I’ll be as free and clear as I’ll be.

“We’ll do another scan, see how the clots respond and then figure out what we do from there,” the two-time world champion informed.

Crouser’s longstanding friendly rival and U.S. teammate Joe Kovacs moved into the third-place position with a heave of 22.12 meters in the fifth round, overtaking New Zealand’s Tom Walsh. It held up for a bronze medal, marking the 34-year-old athlete’s fifth consecutive world championships shot put medal. Kovacs claimed gold in 2015 and 2019. 

It is a remarkable streak of consistency.

Considering his Hungarian ancestry noted that he is honored to compete in Hungary, where his grandfather’s legacy and Budapest has been like a homecoming for him since he arrived in the country. 

“It is a full circle life moment for me. I can remember coming to Hungary for the first time with my grandfather when I was 4 years old, and now I have my wife and twin babies here with me,” Kovacs wrote on his Instagram.
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“I am proud to share the name ‘Kovacs’ with so many of the Hungarian people who will be with me in the crowd. Thank you to all of the Hungarian’s who have come up to me this past weeks in training to wish me luck and show their support.” 
“I truly feel like this meet is a homecoming for me and my family. My heart is full and I’m looking forward to making everyone proud.”

Kovacs saluted the Hungarian crowd when introduced just prior to the 8:37 p.m. start and received a warm and enthusiastic ovation. The bronze medal validated his emotional performance in Hungary.

Italian Leonard Fabbri was a surprise silver medalist.

“He had the night of his life,” Crouser said about the young Italian. “He said he didn’t want to wake up from a dream.”

Payton Otterdahl, the third U.S. athlete qualified for the shot put final, was fifth. The 27-year-old from Minnesota was 26 centimeters short of Kovacs’ bronze medal mark.