Late grandfather was with Ryan Crouser 'every step of the way' to historic third gold

SAINT-DENIS, France − Larry Crouser was with his grandson Ryan on Saturday night.

He was with him in warm-ups, as the greatest shot put thrower of all-time prepared for a record-setting opportunity at the Paris Olympics' Stade de France venue. He was with him in the ring when Crouser violently spun and hurled the 22.90-meter throw that let the rest of the field know they were all throwing for silver.

And he was certainly with him on the podium as Crouser became the first shot putter to ever win three Olympic gold medals.

It was a crowning achievement for Crouser, 31, who grew up with a family of field event standouts from javelin throwers to discus throwers and, of course, shot putters. His father Mitch is his coach, and grandfather Larry ignited Ryan's passion for the sport 20 years ago with a backyard sandpit.

"He's been in my thoughts quite a bit. I lost him right before Tokyo (Olympics in 2021). To have my family here, I think means a lot. Throwing is something that's kind of united my family since I was little. My uncle was on the '92 Olympic team. The year I was born, he was in the Olympics," Crouser said. "To have them all here means so much to me, and my grandpa passing away right before Tokyo, that was an emotional time for me then. Overcoming all the stuff I've had this season just trying to stay positive and find a way to keep moving forward, he's been with me every step of the way."

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As for the rest of the Crouser clan, they were in attendance Saturday night to watch Ryan make shot put history. Where else would they be? After a tenuous elbow injury limited Crouser's training for the Paris Games, there was plenty of drama involved. Crouser took gold in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro and again in the Tokyo Games — winning three consecutive golds in the event was unprecedented.

And for his relatives, Paris was a fine getaway to boot.

"They've been running around Paris and having all the fun. I've been training and hanging out in the village just killing time and waiting to compete. They've been taking cooking classes and seeing the Eiffel Tower," Crouser said with a laugh. "I'm a little jealous. I'm looking forward to spending some time with them."

He's got plenty of time to celebrate, but Crouser has made the decision to shoot for a new goal: winning a fourth consecutive gold medal in shot put at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. There was a time when he planned to switch disciplines to the discus throw post-Paris, but the allure of taking one more crack at shot put gold proved too attractive. He fully intends to pick up the discus again − he's not thrown discus competitively since his days at the University of Texas − but he's keeping the shot put at the center of his plans.

"I'm at the point in my career where I can't take away too much from shot. It's a bit of walking a tight rope. I'd like to throw discus but I can't take away too much from shot. The goal for me would be to retire in 2028 as an American retiring on American soil at an American Olympics. (That) would be a dream come true," Crouser said. "... I don't know if we'll see a full commitment to discus. I'll want to do some meets and throw it a little bit, but shot is where I'm going to hang my shoes up in '28."

And he'll take Larry Crouser with him to L.A., too.

Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X: @chasegoodbread.