DES MOINES, Iowa -- Both the current men's World Champion and women's World Champion headline the upcoming shot put competition at the Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom. The fields for the standout event feature seven throwers in the top 10 of the World Athletics rankings to thrill the Drake Stadium crowd with the raw power, finesse and showmanship Relays fans have come to love.
 
"These two shot put competitions, combined with Wednesday's indoor world record attempt, reinforces the Drake Relays' reputation as one of the premier shot put showcases in the world," said Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays. "The southwest corner of Drake Stadium will be the only place in the world that weekend where you can see both the current men's and women's World Champions. These athletes always put on an incredible performance for our fans, and we're excited to treat our fans to what is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cheer on the sport's best."
 
The in-stadium men's shot put at 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 comes on the heels of a world record attempt Wednesday evening in historic Drake Fieldhouse featuring two-time Olympic champion, two-time World Champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser. The Drake Relays regular returns to Drake Stadium in search of an unprecedented fifth-straight Drake Relays title in the event, which is one of the only things left to accomplish in his storied career that has seen him throw 22 meters (72-2) or further nearly 200 times in his career. However, the likes of Payton Otterdahl, Josh Awotunde and Tripp Piperi are lined up in an attempt to end Crouser's stranglehold on the podium's top spot. 
 
The women's shot put will start at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 with a lineup that includes current World Champion Chase Ealey, who burst onto the scene in 2019 in Des Moines at the USA Championships and owns the second-longest throw ever by an American woman at 20.51m (67-3.5) behind only Michelle Carter's American record.. Three-time World Championship finalist Maggie Ewen and Jessica Woodard will also vie for the Relays title along with a contingent of international talent, including Jamaica's Danniel Thomas-Dodd, a two-time Olympian.
 
Otterdahl revisits the Drake Relays after finishing third in last year's event following an appearance in the Olympic finals. Awotunde was fifth at last year's Relays, but used the experience to springboard to a bronze medal performance at the World Championships. Fellow World Championship competitors Piperi and Chuk Enekwechi are also in the field, as is Paralympic bronze medalist Josh Cinnamo.
 
In the women's competition, Thomas-Dodd makes her first professional visit to Drake Stadium as a six-time World Championship qualifier with a pair of silver medals and a two-time OIympian for Jamaica. Three other international talents join her in Sweden's Axelina Johannson, from the University of Nebraska, Canada's Grace Tennant and Iceland's Erna Gunnarsdottir. Gunnarsdottir owns the Icelandic national record and is a four-time national champion, while Tennant is the most recent Canadian indoor champion. Johannson holds the Swedish national record and was the runner-up at the recent NCAA Indoor Championships after a third-place showing in the NCAA Outdoor Championship last spring. Her best throw gives the field a total of four women that have easily surpassed the 19-meter mark in the event.

Fans of the Drake Relays unable to attend in person will be able to watch a live broadcast of America's Athletic Classic thanks to a partnership between RunnerSpace.com and USATF.TV. Beginning with the first event Wednesday of the 113th Drake Relays presented by Xtream, powered by Mediacom, and continuing through the final race Saturday, with the exception of 2-4 p.m. Saturday, RunnerSpace+ will air this year's action. All events from the 25+ total hours of live streaming on USATF.TV will also be available for on-demand viewing. 
 
Men's Shot Put
Josh Awotunde (USA)

• A 2022 World Championships bronze medalist.
• Finished fourth at the 2019 Drake Relays and fifth in 2021.
• Has a personal best of 22.29m (73-1.75).

Josh Cinnamo (USA)

• Competes in the F46 Paralympic field.
• Was the Paralympics bronze medalist in 2021.
• Is a two-time Paralympic Pan-American Games gold medalist.
• Was the 2019 Paralympic World Champion
• Owns the F46 Paralympics world record at 16.80m (55-1.5).

Ryan Crouser (USA)

• Current outdoor world record holder at 23.37m (76-83.25)
• Current indoor world record holder at 22.82m (74-10.5)
• 2022 World Champion
• Olympic gold medalist in 2021 and 2016.
• Olympic record holder
• Four-time Drake Relays champion.
• Has thrown farther than 23m nine times and more than 22m 198 times.

Chuk Enekwechi (Nigeria)

• Was a 2021 Olympics finalist.
• Is a two-time World Championships finalist.
• Is a two-time African Championships winner.
• Finished third at the 2021 Drake Relays.
• Is the Nigerian national record holder at 21.80m (71-6.25)

Tripp Piperi (USA)

• Was third at the most recent USA Indoor Championships
• Finished eighth at the 2022 World Championships.
• Was a two-time World Junior Championships silver medalist and two-time NCAA Champion at Texas.
• Has a personal best of 21.71m (71-4).

Burger Lambrechts (South Africa)

• Was sixth at the 2022 Drake Relays.
• Won the 2023 South Africa national championship on April 1.
• Owns a personal best of 20.54m (67-4.25).

Payton Otterdahl (USA)

• Was a 2021 Olympics finalist
• Finished third at the Drake Relays in 2022 and second in 2019. 
• Won a pair of NCAA titles at North Dakota State.
• Has a personal best of 21-92m (71-11).

Roger Steen (USA)

• Finished fourth at the 2022 Drake Relays.
• Is a nine-time USA Championships finalist.
• Owns a personal best of 21-47 (70-5..25).

Jonah WIlson (USA)

• Representing Nebraska, finished second at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships.
• 2023 Big 10 Indoor Shot Put Champion.
• Set a personal best of 20.91m (68-7.25) at the NCAA Indoor Championships earlier this year.

Women's Shot Put
Chase Ealey (USA)

• The 2022 World Champion.
• Recently won the Millrose Game competition.
• Is a two-time Diamond League finalist.
• Is the American indoor record holder at 20.63m (66-0.75).
• Won the 2019 USA Championships in Des Moines.
• Has a best of 20.51m (67-3.50) the second-best throw ever by an American.

Maggie Ewen (USA)

• A three-time World Championship finalist.
• Won the 2018 USA Championship in Des Moines.
• Was a Diamond League Champion.
• Was a four-time NCAA Champion.
• Has an indoor personal best of 19.79m (64-11.25), the seventh best mark in American history.

Erna Gunnarsdottir (Iceland)

• Owns Iceland's national record at 17.92m (58-9.5).
• Is the four-time national champion.
• Was a 2019 European Junior Championships bronze medalist.

Axelina Johannson (Sweden)

• Owns the Swedish indoor national record at 19.30m (63-4).
• Was a 2022 World Championships finalist.
• Representing Nebraska, finished third at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships and second at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships.

Grace Tennant (Canada)

• Is the most recent Canadian indoor national champion.
• Has a personal best of 16.81m (55-2).

Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jamaica)

• Is a six-time World Championship qualifier.
• Two-time Olympian.
• Is a Pan-American Games gold medalist.
• Has a personal best of 19.55m (64-1.75).

Jessica Woodard (USA)

• Finished third at the 2022 USA Outdoor Championships and third at the 2023 USA Indoor Championships.
• Took eighth at the 2022 World Championships.
• Has a personal best of 19.40m (63-7.75).