Background
Brian Crouser was born to Larry and Marie Crouser, in early August 1962.
Brian Crouser was born to Larry and Marie Crouser, in early August 1962.
After graduating high school, Brian was quickly offered a full-ride scholarship by the University of Oregon in Eugene. He accepted, and began his college career in 1982. Crouser quickly made a name for himself at Oregon, when he became the first college freshman ever to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association javelin title, with a mark of 274"7".
That throw earned Brian a top-three national ranking.
Battling injuries his sophomore and junior track seasons, Crouser was able to pull through, and win the Pac-10 javelin crown his junior year with a toss of 272"7".
He was able to repeat this his senior year, where he once again won the Pac-10 javelin championship, with a throw of 283"8".
On May 5, 1985, Brian set an all-time collegiate record with a throw of 312"0".
At the age of nine, Brian witnessed a life-altering event. This event was the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He immediately became interested in the throwing events, practicing the shot, discus, and javelin, in his backyard in a quiet, suburban, neighborhood in Gresham, Oregon.
College A Setback Crouser was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1986, which was in the middle of his senior year at Oregon.
He began treatment and had surgery on April 18, within a week of the diagnosis. Crouser, during his stay at Bess Kaiser Hospital, with the eternal love of throwing, was often seen practicing his steps and crossovers in the halls.
Brian"s determination and perseverance was demonstrated when he was presented with a clean bill-of-health in late May, 1986. The first year the new javelin implement was introduced, Crouser became the world-record holder, with a throw of 262"0".
Olympian Emerges After graduating college in 1986, Crouser immediately set his sights on making the 1988 Olympic team
He continued training, and in the summer of 1988, he placed in the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana. He went on to represent the United States, and place in the World"s top thirty athletes at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Crouser trained for the next four years, and he made the 1992 United States. Olympic team in Barcelona.
He again placed in the world"s top thirty athletes.
Personal life He lives just miles from his childhood home.
In 1981, while attending Gresham, Brian became the first boy to win the state championship in all three throwing events (Shot-put, Javelin, and Discus). Crouser quickly made a name for himself at Oregon, when he became the first college freshman ever to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association javelin title, with a mark of 274"7". Battling injuries his sophomore and junior track seasons, Crouser was able to pull through, and win the Pac-10 javelin crown his junior year with a toss of 272"7". He was able to repeat this his senior year, where he once again won the Pac-10 javelin championship, with a throw of 283"8".
