“My goal for next year is to become a world champion,” declared two-time Olympic medalist Valarie Allman last year at the Delhi Half-Marathon in October, signaling a fiery return to the world of track and field. Allman’s 2025 comeback was nothing short of a masterclass, from smashing her own North American record in April 2025 with a staggering 73.52 meters in Ramona, Oklahoma, the longest throw by a woman since 1989, to dominating the USATF Championships and sealing victory at the Diamond League finale in Zurich in late August 2025. And she didn’t stop there: she capped the season with a gold medal, her record intriguingly aligning with Ryan Crouser’s. Curious how? Let’s dive in.

Throwing the discus an astonishing 69.48m, Valarie Allman claimed gold with authority at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. After opening with 67.63m, just edging Jorinde van Klinken’s 67.50m, she unleashed a breathtaking fifth-round throw that left her rivals in the dust. Even a foul on her final attempt couldn’t dim the moment, as the crowd erupted to crown her world champion. Well, this was her first world title. Now, you might be wondering how her clinching the gold is similar to Ryan Crouser’s. To understand that, we need to take a look at both of their records.

When it comes to Ryan Crouser, the numbers speak for themselves: a world record of 23.56m, and he’s the first shot putter to win three consecutive Olympic golds (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2021, Paris 2024), along with back-to-back World Championship titles (Budapest 2022, Eugene 2023). True to his reputation for delivering on the biggest stages, Crouser bounced back from an elbow injury at the Tokyo World Championships to claim gold, launching a decisive 22.34m throw in the fifth round that left his rivals trailing.

Now, let’s dive into Allman’s career, and you might be surprised to see how closely it mirrors Ryan Crouser’s. Like him, she has consistently risen to the occasion at the sport’s biggest stages. Allman claimed her first Olympic medal at Tokyo 2021, then ascended to Olympic gold in Paris. On the World Championship stage, she progressed from bronze in Eugene 2022 to silver in Budapest 2023, and finally struck gold in 2025.

Both of their careers showcase the dominance they hold in their respective sports. So, how did Allman react after winning her first World Championship gold? Let’s find out.

Valarie Allman lives her dream-come-true moment at the World Championships

Victory hit her like a tidal wave as the first thing the athlete did after being crowned champion was to collapse on the field, arms and legs outstretched, sketching an angel in the grass. It was just pure adrenaline in her that made her do this. Talking to the media, the athlete revealed, “It is a dream come true. The whole year, I focused on these championships. Now I am here and I didn’t feel myself – the pressure, the nerves, hit me. I keep looking at this medal and can’t believe it’s real… I didn’t realise before how much I wanted to become the world champion. There was a part of me that felt incomplete.”

She further added, “I am ending years of struggling for this gold. I definitely still have a lot more in the tank. It is really hard to understand what I just did. This season was very compressed. Within two months, I had 12 competitions, with shot put as well, which was really difficult.”

Staring at the medal, she could hardly believe it was real. Performing before 50,000 fans had been pure magic, a rush she hadn’t realized she craved. A part of her had always felt incomplete, but with this gold, years of struggle finally burned away. And make no mistake: she still had plenty more fire left in the tank.

Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands dazzled with a season-best 67.50m, clinching the silver and keeping the pressure on the top spot. Meanwhile, Cuba’s Silinda Morales made her mark with a clutch third-round throw of 67.25m, snatching the bronze. Well, with that, all three celebrated as their Tokyo endeavor ended with a happy ending.