The World Championships have been taking place since Saturday, August 19th, and it has been the most exciting championship to date. So many athletes across the board have been producing high-level results, especially in the throwing events. For this week’s blog, I wanted to discuss some of the takeaways from these World Championships.
Ryan Crouser, The Goat
Before the start of the championship, Ryan Crouser came out with news that he had two blood clots in his leg. A blood clot is a mass of blood that forms platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood that stick together in blood vessels and veins. If not taken care of, it could lead to significant health complications. This news was a massive shock to us fans, as we didn’t know how this would affect Ryan’s performance. Being the GOAT he is, Ryan went out there and showed us why he’s still the best. In his first attempt in the finals, Ryan threw 22.63m, a throw that would establish a dominant lead. He threw 23.51m on his final attempt, establishing a new Championship Record.
Watching Ryan go out there, to what I assume wasn’t 100 percent, and still drop a monster bomb was a testament to how good of a technician he is in the circle. Because Ryan’s technique is so good, he could trust his movement and put his best efforts forward, an effort that would win him the gold! For me, that solidified that technique rules all! If we can build our technique to a point where our movement is smooth and replicable when we are in situations that don’t seem favorable, we can trust in that movement and execute.
In my opinion, Ryan is the Undisputed GOAT of shot put!
Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, USA’s First World Champion!
Watching Lagi win the World Championship was something special. Lagi's first two attempts, one being a foul and the second being the lowest measured toss, looked scary for her chances to make the finals. Rising to the occasion, Lagi threw a new personal best of 65.56m, qualifying her for the finals. From that point on, it was game on for Lagi. In her first attempt in the final, she had a MASSIVE foul. From the viewer's perspective, the throw looked around 67m. Her next attempt was the throw that shook the world, as Lagi threw 69.49m to take the lead, adding four meters to her personal best in the third round. Her 69.49m toss earned her gold, making Lagi the first American woman to win a World Championship in the discus.
During a post-competition interview, Lagi mentioned briefly seeing some technical things during her training leading to Worlds. She continued on mentioning that she and her Coach, John Dagata, saw some things at practice that could put her in a position to compete for a medal. She trusted what she and Coach Dagate built up during the training session leading up to Worlds, and went there shocked the world. That resonated with me. Trusting in what one built leading into a major championship and just going out there and executing. I know from my experience when things get tough, it can be hard to believe in what one’s currently doing. We’ve all come across that at one point, but Lagi’s performance shows that trusting in what one built will eventually pay off.
Big congrats to Lagi Tausaga-Collins, USA’s first Discus World Champion!
Ethan Katzberg, Canada’s First World Champion!
Ethan Katzberg, a newer name in the world of elite throwing, now World Champion! Months before Worlds, I heard Ethan's name floating around the throws community as the next big thing, as he was dropping HUGE tosses OFTEN. This got me excited to see what he would do at his first World Championships. Well, he SHOWED UP! In prelims, he was the only thrower to throw over 80 meters, throwing 81.18m, which would also be his first time throwing over 80 meters. From that point forward, I had a feeling Ethan would medal. On the day of the Finals, Ethan came out swinging, throwing 80.18m on his first attempt. He continued on this rampage of 80+ meter tosses, finishing up his series with a toss of 81.25m, establishing a new National Record and a first-place finisher in his first World appearance!
Watching Ethan DOMINATE in the hammer showed me that anything is possible. A rising star in his first senior World Championship appearance went out, dropped monster bombs, and got gold! Seeing him beat all of these big-name throwers was beyond incredible. His winning put it into perspective that through dedication and hard work, anything is possible. I’m excited to see what the future holds for our new World Champion!
Big congrats to Ethan Katzberg!
Daniel Stahl, The Man You Can’t Count Out
Daniel Stahl’s performance during the Men’s finals was one for the books. I’m not sure many people had him winning, with the dominance Kristjan Ceh was having leading up to the Championships, but that didn’t stop our now Two-time World Champion! During the qualification round, Stahl had a toss of 66.25m, 25cm off of the auto qualification, leading the field going into the final. This was a good indicator that Stahl was in medal contention shape. On the day of the finals, Ceh opened up his series with a 68.31m toss, putting him ahead of his competitors by a few meters. It was looking really promising for Ceh than Stahl after the first three attempts, with Stahl only hitting 66.58m, putting him in 5th place going into the finals. On his first attempt in the finals, the beast was unleashed, with Stahl hitting a massive toss of 69.37m, putting him in first place. He maintained that lead all the way into the sixth round, but Ceh had something to say about that, unleashing what looked to be the winning throw of 70.02m. The pressure was on; it was do or die for Stahl, as he had one more attempt to reclaim the gold, and this man rose to the occasion. Stahl reclaimed the lead with a MASSIVE toss of 71.46m, establishing a new championship record!
Stahl’s performance reminded us all why we can’t count him out. When it mattered most, Stahl rose to the occasion. He didn’t get fazed by Ceh’s massive toss late in the sixth wrong; he stayed calm and did what he does best. For me, this performance proved why we can’t count out Stahl at these major championships. Ceh and Alekna are doing great things for how young they are, but Stahl is still that guy!
The Run lives on!
Big congrats to Daniel Stahl!
We're halfway through the World Championships. Let's see what happens next!
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