Far-Throwing Four Featured in Men’s Shot Put at 2026 Prefontaine Classic

Crouser, Kovacs, Walsh & Fabbri Bringing a Combined 31 Olympic & World Medals to Hayward Field

The Men’s Shot Put competition at the 2026 Prefontaine Classic will feature the world record holder, defending Diamond League champion, reigning world indoor champion, and the athlete with the best throw in the world this year. Hayward Field at the University of Oregon has seen four of the top eight shot put throws in history. On the 4th of July at the Pre Classic, will the sector see shots gallantly streaming towards new records?

Ryan Crouser (Sandy, Oregon) returns to the ring in his home state, where he holds both the Hayward Field and Prefontaine Classic records. Both records were set in 2021, where Ryan’s throw of 23.37m (76’ 8.25”) at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field also set a world record at the time. That throw went just a bit further than his current Pre Classic record toss of 23.15m (75’ 11.5”) thrown in August. In between, Crouser won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, his second of three consecutive gold medals in the Olympic Games  (Rio, Tokyo & Paris). He is the only shot put athlete in history to win three consecutive Olympic titles. Ryan has won 15 Diamond League events, including four Prefontaine Classic titles. An 11-time indoor and outdoor national champion, Ryan also won two NCAA titles at Hayward Field in 2013 & 2014 for the University of Texas. Crouser’s current American and world record throw of 23.56m (77’ 3.75”) was set in May 2023 in Los Angeles. In addition to still holding the Oregon high school state record in the shot put, the former Barlow Bruin also holds the state record in the discus.

Joe Kovacs (Nazareth, Pennsylvania) is the defending Prefontaine Classic and Diamond League Final champion. Last year’s Pre Classic title was Joe’s fourth overall, and his winning throws in 2024 & 2023 were the second and third best throws of his career. Overall, four of his all-time best marks have been at Hayward Field. Kovacs personal best of 23.23 (76’ 2.75”) captured the 2022 Diamond League Final in Zürich, where he outdueled Crouser by nearly half a meter for the fifth-best throw in history. Joe also owns the seventh-best throw ever with a 23.13 (75’ 10.75”) at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, which is the second-best toss ever at Hayward Field. In addition to his trio of Olympic silver medals (Rio, Tokyo & Paris), Kovacs is a two-time World Champion (Doha & Beijing) and holds two more World Championship silver medals and a bronze medal. Joe has been a consistent winner in the Diamond League with 18 event wins over the last 12 years. Joe was a four-time All-American while competing for Penn State University, where he still holds the school record.

Tom Walsh (New Zealand) is a four-time and reigning World Indoor Champion. Tom’s name is cemented in the Kiwi athletics history books with 15 national titles and a 22.90 (75’ 1.75”) throw in 2019 that is the best ever in New Zealand history. No stranger to the Diamond League circuit, Walsh owns 13 Diamond League wins and four Diamond Trophies. This, alongside his two Olympic bronze medals, nine medals from the World Indoor & Outdoor Championships, and three Commonwealth Games medals, makes him one of the most decorated shot putters in history. This will be Walsh’s 12th appearance at The Prefontaine Classic, having competed in every event since 2014. His throw of 22.69 (74’ 5.5”) at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic is his best ever throw at Hayward Field and his second best throw ever in his career. Tom has previously spent 124 weeks as the No. 1-ranked shot put athlete in the world.

Leonardo Fabbri (Italy) holds the world's best mark this season of 22.50 (73’ 10”) thrown outdoors in February in South Africa. In history, only four men have produced better throws than Fabbri’s personal best of 22.98 (75’ 4.75”). That throw won the 2024 Diamond League Final in Brussels and still stands as the Italian national record. His record-breaking throw capped a 2024 season that also saw Fabbri win the European Athletics Championships on home soil in Rome. Leonardo won a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and a bronze medal at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo. He also holds a World Indoor Championships bronze medal from the 2024 event in Glasgow. Fabbri is a 12-time Italian indoor and outdoor national champion and won the Mediterranean U23 Championships in 2018 in Jesolo, Italy. His best throw at Hayward Field of 22.31 (73’ 2.5”) came at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic.

The Prefontaine Classic will take place on Friday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 4th, 2026.

A Diamond Discipline, the Men’s Shot Put, is scheduled for Saturday, July 4th.

The tentative event schedule windows for each day of competition are: Friday, 6:00 - 10:00 p.m. / Saturday, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Tickets, VIP Experience packages, and Accommodations packages are now on sale.

Those interested in volunteering at The Prefontaine Classic can learn more here.