Graham: Crouser over Warholm for Athlete of the Year

EVEN THOUGH Karsten Warholm set two world records in the 400-metre hurdles, one expert has given shot putter Ryan Crouser a narrow edge in the race to become World Athletics’ Male Athlete of the Year.

That is the verdict from Jamaica’s hurdles coach, Lennox Graham, who says Crouser was consistent at a very high level in 2021.

Crouser broke a 31-year-old world record at the United States Olympic Trials with a spin of 23.37 metres, and went close to his new mark at the Olympic Games with a winning distance of 23.30. That and two other 23-metre throws tipped Graham’s hand.

Asked to name his Athlete of the Year, the coach of 2015 World 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams and Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion Kyron McMaster, pin-pointed his two top picks.

“I think it’s Crouser and the Viking who probably, in my mind, have the top spot, (with) a bias towards Warholm because he ran so well at the big meet, breaking the world record by such a large amount; and he had broken the world record before.”

NEW WORLD RECORD

Warholm clipped the 29-year-old world record down from 46.78 to 46.70 on July 1 in Oslo, Norway, and in the Olympics, he smashed the 46-second barrier with a stunning time of 45.93. Despite that, Graham gave Crouser the edge.

“But I think Crouser, because he was consistent at a very, very high level, would probably get the nod,” Graham surmised.

Crouser, who produced nine of the 10 best throws of the season, and Warholm, are among 10 nominees for the World Athletics award. The others are pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, long jumper Miltaidis Tentogulu, distance runners Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Joshua Cheptegei, decathlete Damion Warner, triple jumper Pedro Pichardo, discus thrower Daniel Stahl, and marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge.

That aside, Graham credited Warholm for setting a new standard in the 400-metre hurdles.

“If you really want to be competitive in this event, you have to be prepared to run under 47 now,” he tabled.

At the Olympics, American Rai Benjamin clocked 46.17 seconds for silver, with Brazilian Alison dos Santos third in 46.72. McMaster was fourth with a British Virgin Islands record of 47.08 seconds.

Now based at Clemson University in South Carolina, the former Kingston College head coach puts Warholm’s 2021 season in perspective.

“People only need to see something happen to open up their minds. We’ve seen it over and over again in different, different sports. Think of Mike Tyson when he was looking unbeatable. Buster Douglas beat him, and then everybody thought they had a chance,” Graham retold.

He added that McMaster has taken up the new challenge.

“He has the required speed to go faster than he has gone before. Kyron, definitely having broken his national record this year, 47.50 and 47.08, is looking to dip under 47 for sure,” Graham insisted.

Hubert Lawrence