In his first competition since August, Delsea’s Josh Awotunde threw the shot 70-2 ¼ Saturday at the USATF L.A. Grand Prix at UCLA’s Drake Stadium in Los Angeles.
That’s No. 17 in the world this year and No. 6 among American men in his first meet since Aug. 19, when he placed 11th in qualifying at the World Championships at Nemzeti Atlétikai Központ in Budapest, Hungary.
It was his best throw since July 16, 2023, when he hit 70-10 ¾ at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Diamond Discipline meet at Stadion Śląski, in Chorzów, Poland.
Awotunde threw his PR 73-1 ½ when he placed 3rd as part of a U.S. sweep at the 2022 World Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. That’s No. 21 in world history and No. 12 all-time U.S.
He hit the 70-2 ¼ Saturday on his first throw and then added a 70-1 ¾ on his 2nd. He also had a 69-5 ¼ in his series.
Here’s a look at all of Awotunde’s 70-foot throws – all since May of 2021 (Note that some meets do not make field series information available so there could be some non-winning throws over 70 feet I don’t know about. But if there are, it would only be one or two):
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) [—]
70-10 3/4 … Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial, Stadion Śląski, Chorzów, Poland, July 16, 2023 [5th]
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] [—]
70-2 1/4 … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [1st throw] [4th]
70-1 3/4 … USATF L.A. Grand Prix, Los Angeles, May 18, 2024 [2nd 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 