Yes, our eyes swell.
Meet Ryan Crouser, the 28-year-old professional shot putter who just won his second gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Thursday, August 5th. While becoming a gold medalist is quite an accomplishment, the moment was even more impressive considering he has now won back-to-back gold medals in the same event and this year set a new Olympic record that surpassed the previous 2016 record. But that was not all.
Ryan’s victory also follows the loss of his grandfather, Larry Crouser, who died at the age of 86 the day before the athlete left for Tokyo. “He’s played a huge role in my throwing career,” he said, according to USA Today. “Losing him a week before the Olympics was sad of course, but I have a feeling that in spirit he could be here.”
In spirit and in writing. After winning the competition, Ryan pulled out a piece of paper that read, “Grandpa, we did it, 2020 Olympic Champion!” – a fitting tribute to the man who played a pivotal role in his shot put career as a child.
