Delsea’s Josh Awotunde placed 2nd in the shot put Sunday evening at the U.S. National Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, qualifying for his second straight World Championships team.
Awotunde, in 6th place after three throws, popped the 4th- best throw of his life in the 4th round, a 72-6 ¼ bomb that moved him into 2nd place, behind only world record holder and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser, who opened with a 74-10 ½.
Awotunde’s throw was only 7 ½ inches off his lifetime-best 73-1 ½ that he threw when he placed 3rd at the World Championships in Eugene last July.
With his top-3 finish, Awotunde will once again represent the U.S. at the World Championships, which will be held next month in Budapest, Hungary. He’ll be joined on the U.S. team by Pleasantville’s Nia Ali, who won the 100-meter hurdles, and Florence’s Curtis Thompson, who won the javelin.
The 72-6 ¼ is Awotunde’s 4th-best throw ever. The top three all came at Worlds last year – 72-11 ½ on his first throw, 73-1 ½ on his 5th and 72-10 ¾ on his 6th.
Awotunde’s throw is No. 5 in the world this year and No. 3 among Americans, behind Crouser and two-time World Champion and two-time Olympic silver medalist Joe Kovacs, who finished 4th Saturday at 71-10 ¼.
Awotunde is No. 18 in world history with his 73-1 ½ and No. 11 in U.S. history.
This was only Awotunde’s 4th meet this year and his best previous throw this year was a 68-7 ¼ at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix on May 27. So he had his five-best throws this year tonight in Eugene. His four-best throws – and six of his eight-best – have come at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.
The former South Carolina All-America placed 5th at U.S. Nationals in 2019 and 2021 and 3rd last year, so this is his 4th straight top-5 finish and his best finish ever at nationals. There was no meet in 2020.
Awotunde opened with a 67-5 ½, 69-11 and 69-11 ½ and went into the finals in 6th place. But he moved into 2nd with his 72-6 ¼ on his 4th throw and backed it up with a 71-8 and a 71-8 ¼.
He averaged 70-6 ¼ on his six throws, good enough to place 5th overall if his average were one throw.
Because Crouser is defending World Champion, he’s automatically qualified for Worlds, which means Awotunde, 3rd-place Payton Otterdahl [PR 72-5 3/4] and Kovacs [71-10 1/4] will all join Crouser in Budapest.
Awotunde’s 72-6 ¼ was his best 4th throw ever. His previous-best 4th throw was a 71-2 ¼ at the Gyulai István Memorial in Székesfehérvár, Hungary two years ago this week.
Worlds are scheduled for Aug. 19-27 at Budapest’s National Athletics Center along the banks of the River Danube. Shot put qualifying is scheduled for 4:30 a.m. EST on Saturday, Aug. 19, with the finals following at 2:35 p.m. local time.
Here’s a look at all of Awotunde’s 70-foot throws – all since May of 2021:
73-1 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [5th throw] [3rd]
72-11 ½ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
72-10 ¾ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [6th throw] [—]
72-6 ¼ … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 9, 2023 [4th throw] [2nd]
71-3 ½ … Memorial Borisa Hanžekovića, Fountains, Zagreb [N/A/] [3rd]
71-2 ¼ … World Championships, Eugene, Ore., July 17, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
72-2 … Meeting Città di Padova, Stadio Colbachini, Padovad, Poland, Sept. 5, 2021 [N/A] [place]
71-8 … U.S. Olympic Trials, Eugene, Ore., June 18, 2021 [6th throw] (5th place]
71-2 ¼i … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [3rd throw] (5th)
71-2 ¼ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [4th throw] (3rd)
71-1 ½ … Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., May 9, 2021 [6th throw] [2nd place]
70-11 ¾ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [5th throw] [2nd]
70-11 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [5th throw) [2nd]
70-10 ¾ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [4th throw) [—]
70-7 … U.S. Championships, Eugene, Ore., June 27, 2022 [3rd throw] [3rd]
70-6 ½ … Gyulai István Memorial, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, July 6, 2021 [6th throw] [—]
70-6 ¼i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [3rd throw] [1st]
70-3 ½ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [3rd throw] [—]
70-2 ½i … American Track League, Louisville, Ky., Feb. 12, 2022 [1st throw] [—]
70-0 ½ … Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów [N/A] [3rd]
70-0 ¼ … USATF Golden Games, Walnut, Calif., April 16, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
70-0 ¼ … World Athletics Indoors, Belgrade, Serbia, March 19, 2022 [2nd throw] [—]
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 