2017 USA Outdoors Track & FIeld Championship Sacramento, CA June 22-25, 2017 Photo: KevinMorris@PhotoRun victah1111@aol.com 631-291-3409 www.photorun.net
Ryan Crouser awarded USATF Athlete of the Week honors after his performance in the men’s shot put at the 2017 USATF Outdoor Championships. – USA Track & Field – News
INDIANAPOLIS– Following his dominant performance that saw a meet and stadium record at the USATF Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California in the men’s shot put, 2016 Olympic Champion, Ryan Crouser (Boring, Oregon) is this week’s USATF Athlete of the Week.
Crouser arrived at Hornet Stadium the clear favorite after claiming his first Diamond League victory at the Prefontaine Classic in late May. He entered the sixth round of throws in a tight battle with Joe Kovacs (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) and launched a monster personal best of 22.65m/73’ 3 ¾“. His mark ranks number six all time and is further than his winning throw from the Rio Olympic Games.
Following the competition, Crouser told the media, “That was definitely a good one. I came in a little more rested than usual, so there was a lot of power there. To throw of 22 meters twice with what were basically off throws is encouraging.”
Crouser is set to compete at the Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland on July 6th, 2017 before the IAAF World Championships in London, England.
Other Notable Performances:
2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad (Bayside, New York) won the women’s 400mH in 52.64 at the USATF Outdoor Championships in a race that is being considered the strongest 400H final in history, with six women dipping under 54 seconds.
2016 Olympic bronze medalist Sam Kendricks (Oxford, Mississippi) took home the 2017 USATF title with a vault of 6.00m/19-8.25, becoming one of five American vaulters to ever clear the height and claiming the top mark in the world this year.
Youngster Donovan Brazier (Grand Rapids, Michigan) claimed his first senior title at the USATF Outdoor Championships in the men’s 800m with a time of 1:44.14.
Deajah Stevens (Westchester, New York), a 2016 Olympic finalist in the 200m, returned to the USATF Championships to claim the senior women’s 200m title and finish second in the 100m with times of 22.30 and 11.08 seconds.
High school phenom Tara Davis (Agoura, California) won both the junior women’s long jump and 100m hurdles at USATF Junior Outdoor Championships with winning marks of 6.63m/21-9 and 13.01.
Now in its 16th year, USATF’s Athlete of the Week program is designed to recognize outstanding performers at all levels of the sport. USATF names a new honoree each week and features the athlete on USATF.org. Selections are based on top performances and results from the previous week.
2017 Winners: January 5, Miranda Melville; January 12, Leonard Korir; January 19, Jordan Hasay; January 26, Keni Harrison; February 2, Michael Wardian; February 9, Mikey Brannigan; February 16, Ajee’ Wilson; February 23, Kathy Martin; March 2, Keturah Orji; March 9, Noah Lyles; March 16, Christian Walker; March 23, Allen Woodard; March 30, Bob Lida; April 6, Anna Rohrer; April 12, Sydney McLaughlin; April 19, Ben True; April 26, Jordan Hasay; May 3, Clayton Murphy; May 10, Gwen Berry; May 17, Christian Coleman; May 24, Joe Kovacs; May 31, Christian Taylor; June 7, Sydney McLaughlin; June 14, Christian Coleman; Tianna Bartoletta, June 21; Ryan Crouser, June 28.
We welcome your nominations!
To nominate an athlete for USATF Athlete of the Week, please send a detailed email about his/her performance to Communications@usatf.org.
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