DELSEA’S JOSH AWOTUNDE PLACES 5TH IN SHOT PUT AT WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!!!!!!!!

Delsea graduate Josh Awotunde placed 5th in the shot put Saturday at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Awotunde threw 71-2 ¼ on his third attempt and finished behind only Olympian Darlan Romani of Brazil [meet-record 73-11], U.S. teammate and world record holder Ryan Crouser [73-7 1/2], two-time Olympic bronze medalist Tomas Walsh of New Zealand [73-2 1/4] and Olympian Filip Mihaljević of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a three-time NCAA champ for Virginia [71-7 1/4], in his first international championship competition.

The competition produced five of the top 17 throws in meet history.

Awotunde threw just 1 ½ inches off his indoor lifetime best of 71-3 ¾, which he hit last month when he placed second at the U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash., which qualified him for Worlds. Awotunde’s outdoor PR is 72-2 from last spring at Stadio Colbachini, Padova, Italy.

Awotunde, the youngest finisher in the top 5, opened with a throw of 68- ½ and then threw 70-2 ¾ on his second attempt before hitting 71-2 ¼ on his third. He was sitting in 4th going into the finals but fouled on all three attempts.

Awotunde’s mark is the best 5th-place finish in meet history. The previous best was 68-11 ½ by Bulgari’s Georgi Ivanov in 2014.

His throw is No. 17 in meet history and makes him the No. 10 all-time performer and No. 5 American ever at Indoor Worlds.

All-Time World Indoor Performance List
73-11 … Darlan Romani [Brazil], 2022 [1]
73-7 ½ … Ryan Crouser [United States], 2022 [2]
73-2 ¼ ……..Walsh, 2018 [1]
73-2 ¼ …….. Walsh, 2022 [3]
72-11 ½ … Ulf Timmerman [German Democratic Republic], 1987 [1]
72-6 ½ … Reese Hoffa [United States], 2006 [1]
72-4 … Ryan Whiting [United States], 2014 [1]
72-2 ……..Whiting, 2012 [1]
71-9 … David Storl [Germany], 2012 [2]
71-7 ¼ … Christian Cantwell [United States], 2010 [1]
71-7 ¼ … Filip Mihaljević [Croatia], 2022 [4]
71-5 ¾ ……..Storl, 2014 [2]
71-5 ½ ……..Walsh, 2016 [1]
71-5 ……..Cantwell, 2008 [1]
71-4 ¼ ……..Timmerman, 1989 [1]
71-3 … Tomasz Majewski [Poland], 2012
71-2 ¼ … Josh Awotunde [United States], 2022 [5]