The human body is awe-inspiring. Of course, one of its most impressive aspects is its ability to adapt to each individual’s situation.
In this case, it just so happens to be American Olympic athlete Ryan Crouser, who competes in the shot put.
Through his years of training and competing, his right hand, which he uses for his event, has evolved, becoming bigger and less flexible than his left hand.
“16 pounds going almost 40 miles off the fingertips, you get strong fingertips,” said Crouser in the video.
People on social media couldn’t believe the sheer difference.
“That’s a great photo! Ryan Crouser’s ‘shot put hand’ is quite the sight! It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication he’s put into his craft. I can only imagine the amount of pressure and strength required to hurl a heavy ball like that,” said one commenter
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“Ryan Crouser’s “shot put hand” is like a catcher’s mitt on steroids!” commented another
Some even took things a little too far, implying that he may have actually developed his larger right hand through other, much more devious activities.
Ryan Crouser Continues To Dominate The Shot Put
Crouser, a 6’7″ Boring, OR native, is one of the lesser-known American Olympic athletes, but he has certainly been one of the most successful in recent games.
He first competed in the 2016 Rio games, where he took home gold for the first time in Shot Put. In 2020 and 2024, he saw the same results.
He is the first athlete to win gold three years in a row at the shot put and holds the record for the four longest throws in history. Regarding the shot put, Crouser is the Michael Phelps of the event.