All Three Olympic Shot Put Medalists To Compete in Eugene at Pre Classic

By Adam Kopet, DyeStat Editor

The Prefontaine Classic has long held the reputation for big shot put competitions. Hayward Field has had more 70-foot plus marks than any other venue in the world.

On Monday, meet organizers announced the shot put entries in a press release.

At the top of the list is Olympic champion Ryan Crouser. The native Oregonian had a tremendous 2016 season after graduating with a Master's degree in finance in May from the University of Texas. Crouser, 24, set the Olympic record with his mark of 73-10.75 (22.52m).

Joe Kovacs, Olympic silver medalist from Rio, will also be making a return to the Pre Classic, having won the past two years. Kovacs, 27, has a personal best of 74-0.25 (22.56m) and won the gold medal at the 2015 Beijing World Championships.

Tom Walsh, the 25-year old from New Zealand, captured the bronze medal in the Olympics. He beat Crouser twice in 2016 after the Olympic Games. Crouser, however, competed against Walsh twice in New Zealand last month, winning both times. Walsh is also the defending World Indoor champion.

The rest of the field include David Storl of Germany, Kurt Roberts of the USA, Franck Elemba of the Republic of Congo and Konrad Bukowiecki of Poland. And eighth athlete will be added to the field based on best marks in the 2017 season.

The Prefontaine Classic will be held May 26-27 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.