PARIS, France — Oregon's Ryan Crouser isn't just a three-time Olympic gold medalist — he's also the coach of a fellow Olympic athlete who on Wednesday became a gold medalist in his own right.
Jamaica's Roje Stona put on a surprisingly strong showing in Wednesday's discus throw finals; he'd scored second in his group at the qualifying round and sixth among the 12 who advanced to the finals. But when he took to the field on Wednesday, he catapulted all the way to the top with a throw that won him gold and also set a new Olympic record.
Until Wednesday, the Olympic record for discus throw was 69.89 meters, set by Lithuania's Mykolas Alekna, who also set the world record of 74.35 meters earlier this year. Alekna came in first in the qualifiers and beat his own Olympic record on Wednesday with a 69.97-meter throw, only for Stona to break the record again with a 70-meter throw moments later.
Crouser spoke about coaching Stona during an appearance on the Today Show on Monday, two days after winning his third consecutive gold medal in shot put. During the interview, Crouser said he'd just come from the stadium, where he'd been coaching Stona through the qualifying round.
"I was sweating through my shirt; I'm way more nervous coaching than I am competing," Crouser said. "I'd take competing out there every day of the week, I think my heart rate is definitely higher sitting in the stands doing nothing."
Crouser shared a photo of the two on Instagram earlier in the day, wishing Stona good luck in the finals.
Crouser explained during the Today Show interview that he competed in discus throw and several other track-and-field events for many years, and it was only partway through college that he began focusing exclusively on shot put.
"I was throwing shot put and discus at the University of Texas, but up until then I was a multi-sport athlete through high school," he said.
Crouser and Stona met at the University of Arkansas, where Stona currently competes and Crouser volunteers as a coach.
