Ryan Crouser is the first athlete in Olympic history to win the shot put in three consecutive events.
His dominance in Rio, Tokyo and Paris has given Crouser a clear advantage built into his hands.
Crouser showed off his hands on TODAY to demonstrate how much bigger his right hand is than his left.
Crouser’s right hand is his source of income, as he is the one who throws the shot onto the field.
The former Texas pitcher also demonstrated how strong his fingers are individually, as his hand doesn’t bend beyond going straight up in the air.
Ryan Crouser won his third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the shot put at the Paris Games.
Crouser is 6’5″ and weighs 300 pounds, making his right hand enormous compared to most humans.
“It just takes a beating,” Crouser said of his hand. “You press down on the tips of your fingers and it just doesn’t budge. So at 16 pounds and almost 40 miles an hour with your fingertips, you get strong fingertips.”
Crouser is only 31 years old, which means that he is not out of the question for another Olympic Games and could win a fourth consecutive title.
“As an Olympian, the dream would be to retire at an Olympic Games in my own country,” Crouser said. “For me, it would be my fourth. It would be a dream come true, so I’m trying to hold on until then.”
At 35, Crouser would be competing at the Los Angeles Games a dozen years after her first Olympic gold.
The way her hands improve after four more years of training could be all she needs to extend her Olympic record in the shot put.
