RYAN CROUSER

Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah bested her gold-medal winning time in Tokyo at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, and Sha’Carri Richardson finished last in her return to the track after controversy.

Sha’Carri Richardson is set to compete again after missing the Tokyo Olympics because of a positive marijuana test.

A five-minute burst of action near the backstretch of the Olympic track served up the perfect snapshot of what is going right and all that is going wrong for the U.S. track and field team in Tokyo.

Crouser broke the Olympic record on three of his six throws along with winning the gold in the shot put. He also won gold during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. USA's Joe Kovacs took silver.

On his last attempt, the 28-year-old went 23.30 meters to earn the first track and field gold for the American men. Crouser went 22.52 meters when he won at the 2016 Summer Games.

The main action for Day 12 of the Tokyo Games is at Olympic Stadium with live track & field events anchoring Wednesday coverage.

A simple question of describing one's track and field event led to some creative comparisons that might help the casual track fan better understand precisely what they do at the Tokyo Games.

Allyson Felix is headed to her fifth Olympics.

Athletes spend months, sometimes years, obeying strict diets that are geared toward the goal of making the Olympics.

Ryan Crouser broke a 31-year-old world record in the shot put at U.S. Olympic trials with a heave of 76 feet, 8 1/4 inches (23.37 meters) that also qualified him for the Tokyo Games.

Valarie Allman won the discus at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials and earned a spot at the Tokyo Games.

Ryan Crouser broke a 31-year-old world record in the shot put at U.S. Olympic trials with a heave of 76 feet, 8 1/4 inches (23.37 meters) that also qualified him for the Tokyo Games.

Ryan Crouser broke a 31-year-old world record in the shot put at U.S. Olympic trials with a heave of 76 feet, 8 1/4 inches (23.37 meters) that also qualified him for the Tokyo Games.

(AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)The day after breaking a world indoor shot put record that was older than he is, 28-year-old Ryan Crouser celebrated by taking the boat out to catch some bass. How far are you throwing?’” recounted Crouser, a four-time NCAA indoor/outdoor shot-put champion at the University of Texas. Last Sunday, he eclipsed the world indoor mark of 22.66 meters (74-4¼) set by Randy Barnes on Jan. 20, 1989. Afterward, Crouser received congratulatory messages from friends, family and fellow shot-put standouts such as two-time Olympic medalist John Godina along with two-time indoor world champion Ryan Whiting. One of his shot-put pupils happened to be left-handed and to teach them, Crouser worked on attempts as a southpaw.

When the American Track League opens its four-week-long series on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021 de Grasse will be one of the athletes competing at the indoor setting at the University of Arkansas. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)The prospect of winning prize money isn’t what brings high jumper Vashti Cunningham, sprinter Andre De Grasse and other top names in track to an indoor meet in Arkansas this weekend. The American Track League begins a four-week indoor series Sunday at the University of Arkansas. Crouser's staring at a number: 22.66 meters (74 feet, 4¼ inches), which happens to be the longstanding world indoor shot put record. The 28-year-old threw 22.58 meters (74 feet, 1 inch) at a meet in Manhattan, Kansas, on Dec. 5.