Rosemount’s Payton Otterdahl qualified for the Olympics in shot put for the second time.
Otterdahl, a former North Dakota State standout, threw 73 feet and half an inch at the Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday night to finish third. The top three throwers make the Olympic team, and it’s the same team as in 2021 in Tokyo, with Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs also headed to France later this summer.
Crouser overcame a balky elbow to win his eighth outdoor national title at 73-11¼. He is looking for a third consecutive Olympic gold medal. Kovacs, who finished runner-up to Crouser at both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, finished second at 73-7¼. Otterdahl finished 10th in the shot put in Tokyo.
Speaking to the strength of the U.S. in the event, Crouser said, “If the whole world came to trials they’d get one, maybe one, spot” in the Olympics.
