Payton Otterdahl
United States
Payton Otterdahl is an accomplished American shot putter, known for his powerful throws and competitive spirit. He gained recognition in the track and field world with standout performances at collegiate championships and has represented the United States in various international competitions.
Personal Bests
Shot Put
22.59
4/24/2024
Discus Throw
62.94
4/6/2019
Hammer Throw
67.08
3/15/2019
Discus Throw (1.750kg)
59.98
6/27/2015
Shot Put (6kg)
19.76
6/26/2015
Major Championships
The XXXIII Olympic Games - Shot Put
22.03
Recent Mentions
“We see upsets all the time in this sport. Anything can happen to anybody on any given day. Those two are just on a whole other level. It’s kind of motivating to me. They’re #1 and #2 of all-time. They are the best two in the sport. They are active, they’re in their prime right now… As a guy who’s a little bit of a peg down from them, it’s super motivating. I want to beat those guys more than anything – because if I'm able to beat them, I'm beating absolute legends of the sport.”
Payton Otterdahl joins the show after qualifying for his second Olympic Games in shot put. Payton shares about how he approaches head-to-head competition with shot put legends Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs, breaks down the depth of the shot put field that he’ll face in Paris, how his shot put practices compare to his actual competitions, how he uses the offseason to his advantage, and lots more. Hear more from Payton in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast.
Hosts: Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Payton Otterdahl | @paytonotterdahl on Instagram
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👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running
The track is HOT.
Okay, it’s actually quite pleasant by Eugene-in-June standards, with temperatures in the high 70s and a pleasant breeze that always seems to be a tailwind in Hayward Field. But the performances laid down last night in Day 8 of the Olympic Trials sure heated up the stadium — even in events where we’re not on finals yet.
For the first time in history, three men broke 13 seconds in the same 110m hurdles race as Grant Holloway picked up his second national title, made his second Olympic team, and clocked the fourth-fastest performance in history ahead of Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts’s lifetime bests. Five men broke 20 seconds in the 200m semifinals led by Noah Lyles’s wind-aided 19.60, and another epic battle between Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson is set up in the women’s 200m final.
While middle-distance rounds can sometimes get tactical, they sure didn’t tonight. It took 4:05.36 to make the final of the women’s 1500m, and the “heavy hitters” heat did not disappoint with Nikki Hiltz making a statement with a 4:01.40 win and five finishes at 4:02.14 or faster. The 1500m final will be absolutely stacked, and in the mixed zone competitors were suggesting that it may make times well under 4 minutes just to make the team.
In the men’s 800m, it’s clear that qualifying for the Games in the 1500m has lifted a weight off Hobbs Kessler’s shoulders, as he seems to be absolutely elated in each round of racing and led all semifinal qualifiers with a huge personal best of 1:43.71. Kessler skipped the 1:44s entirely as his PB heading into this weekend was 1:45.07.
It’s now officially the weekend and, bittersweetly, our final two days of action, so make sure you don’t miss any of these incredible competitions over the last few finals. If we’ve learned anything form the action we’ve seen so far, we’re in store for something very, very fast in multiple events.
CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for day three of the Olympic Trials include Nico Young, Payton Otterdahl, Kendall Ellis, and Matthew Wilkinson.
LIVE SHOWS
Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT.
TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet.
LIVE MEET COVERAGE
Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel.
MORNING RUNS
CITIUS MAG and New Balance will be hosting group runs on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 a.m. ET; Tuesday, June 25th at 8 a.m. and Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Come on by to our pop-up next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream shop to meet for some easy morning miles.
All paces are welcome. We’ll be giving away shirts, hats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to try all of the latest and greatest from New Balance. We’ll also have Olipop, coffee, games and cold plunges to enjoy afterward.
Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running
Matthew Centrowitz joins the CITIUS MAG crew to unpack an insane day of track and field. Here are the biggest highlights from Day 4 of the U.S. Olympic Trials include:
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CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for day three of the Olympic Trials include Nico Young, Payton Otterdahl, Kendall Ellis, and Matthew Wilkinson.
LIVE SHOWS
Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT.
TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet.
LIVE MEET COVERAGE
Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel.
MORNING RUNS
CITIUS MAG and New Balance will be hosting group runs on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 a.m. ET; Tuesday, June 25th at 8 a.m. and Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Come on by to our pop-up next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream shop to meet for some easy morning miles.
All paces are welcome. We’ll be giving away shirts, hats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to try all of the latest and greatest from New Balance. We’ll also have Olipop, coffee, games and cold plunges to enjoy afterward.
Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running
“When he made that move, I was like, ‘I gotta stick close to him and he’s going to take me to Paris. I thought I made a hard move doing a 63 (lap) with three out, and he comes by me going 59 and I was like, ’That’s world-class.’ when that happened, I was like, ‘There’s no way I'm going to beat him, but if I can stay as close to him as possible, I don’t think anyone’s going to beat us.’”
From Division 3 to Olympian! Matthew Wilkinson joins the show after taking second in the U.S. Olympic Trials steeplechase to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Matthew breaks down the steeplechase final, shares about other steeplechasers that he looks up to, what his goals are for the Olympics + the rest of his season, and lots more. Hear more from Matthew in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast.
Hosts: Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram
Guest: Matthew Wilkinson | @silkywilky1123 on Instagram
_________
CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for day three of the Olympic Trials include Nico Young, Payton Otterdahl, Kendall Ellis, and Matthew Wilkinson.
LIVE SHOWS
Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT.
TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet.
LIVE MEET COVERAGE
Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel.
MORNING RUNS
CITIUS MAG and New Balance will be hosting group runs on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 a.m. ET; Tuesday, June 25th at 8 a.m. and Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Come on by to our pop-up next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream shop to meet for some easy morning miles.
All paces are welcome. We’ll be giving away shirts, hats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to try all of the latest and greatest from New Balance. We’ll also have Olipop, coffee, games and cold plunges to enjoy afterward.
Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running
“I definitely feel like having that success indoors with the two titles helped me gain confidence in my ability to close down a race and win a race in any way. Whether it’s a fast race, slow race, I'm equally as confident. For the rest of the outdoor season, it definitely helped me be not as concerned as the gun went off that I was going to be able to close well off of any kind of race.”
Newly minted Olympian Nico Young joins the show after qualifying for his first Olympic team in the 10,000m at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. He also just announced signing a professional contract with adidas. Nico unpacks his third-place finish in the 10,000m, recaps his incredible NCAA season, shares about his excitement for Paris, breaks down his Mount Rushmore of NAU distance running legends, and lots more. Hear more from Nico in this episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast.
Hosts: Hosts: Chris Chavez | @chris_j_chavez on Instagram + Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram
Guest: Nico Young | @nico__young__ on Instagram
_________
CITIUS MAG LIVE From Eugene! will bring you daily interviews with athletes, coaches and notable folks in town at noon PT each day. Our guests for day three of the Olympic Trials include Nico Young, Payton Otterdahl, Kendall Ellis, and Matthew Wilkinson.
LIVE SHOWS
Good Morning Track and Field will start your day with some takes and updates from Eugene hosted by Eric Jenkins, Mitch Dyer and Karen Lesiewicz at 8:30 a.m. PT.
TRIALS TALK – our hit daily podcast series from 2021 – returns on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed + streaming live immediately post-race to unpack all of the action immediately following the meet.
LIVE MEET COVERAGE
Stay updated on live results, mixed zone interviews and more on the CITIUS MAG Instagram, X and Threads pages while the meet is underway each evening. All interviews will be uploaded to our aforementioned YouTube channel.
MORNING RUNS
CITIUS MAG and New Balance will be hosting group runs on Sunday, June 23rd at 8 a.m. ET; Tuesday, June 25th at 8 a.m. and Saturday, June 29th at 7:30 a.m. Come on by to our pop-up next to Prince Puckler’s Ice Cream shop to meet for some easy morning miles.
All paces are welcome. We’ll be giving away shirts, hats and more. Plus, you’ll have an opportunity to try all of the latest and greatest from New Balance. We’ll also have Olipop, coffee, games and cold plunges to enjoy afterward.
Also, CITIUS MAG Newsletter subscribers will be getting daily emails from the Trials as David Melly rounds up all of the biggest results, stories + our best interviews, photos and original content from Eugene. If you want to hook a friend, there’s no better time than the Trials so forward them the emails or encourage them to sign up today for FREE here: https://citiusmag.beehiiv.com/
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
👟 NEW BALANCE: New Balance celebrates runners of all levels and styles. They believe there’s no single ‘right’ way to run - just your way. If you run, no matter the distance, pace or frequency, you’re a runner. New Balance, Run your way. NewBalance.com/Running
Payton Otterdahl knows how to show up when it matters most. After a season of consistent throws, Payton earned a spot on team U.S.A. for the World Championships in Budapest with a new PB that eclipsed the 22-meter barrier. We got the chance to catch up with Payton and ask about his comeback from hip surgery, what it took to punch his ticket to Hungary, and who he wants to room with in Budapest. All this and more in our latest episode!
Thought Season 2 was over? You've been mistaken! Ryan sits down with 5 athletes who will be competing in the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Listen to Alex Talley, Benji Phillips, Kari Wolfe, Payton Otterdahl, and Maddy Nilles share their experiences leading into the trials, what they hope to accomplish, and what representing their country would mean to them. Also find out what pizza they're ordering at the famous TrackTown Pizza in Eugene, Oregon!
We hope you listen to the entire episode, but listed below are the timestamp of each athlete's interview:
Alex Talley: 3:47 - 15:08
Benji Phillips: 15:35 - 29:18
Kari Wolfe: 29:45 - 39:43
Payton Otterdahl: 40:12 - 54:36
Maddy Nilles: 55:05 - 1:07:50