Medal on his mind: Otterdahl ready for his 2nd Olympics

For many athletes, reaching the Olympics is the pinnacle of a career.

Rosemount native Payton Otterdahl will be at the Olympics next week — for the second time. And he believes his star is still rising.

Regardless of what happens in the men’s shot put in Paris next week — Otterdahl is ranked fifth in the world by worldathletics.org and is a medal contender — the shot put will remain his job, his pursuit, his passion.

“I’m definitely looking at 2028 in Los Angeles,” Otterdahl said last week from London, where he competed in a Diamond League meet that was the last tune-up before the Olympic competition. “This year I’m not favored to medal, and that’s pushing me. I’m using that as motivation.”

Qualifying rounds for men’s shot put will be Friday, Aug. 2, with the finals the next day.

Earlier this year, Otterdahl moved to sixth place on the U.S. all-time list with a personal-best throw of 22.59 meters (74 feet, 1.5 inches) at the Drake Relays Team Shot Put Showcase. He earned a spot in the Olympics by taking third with 22.26 meters at the U.S. trials in June.

Otterdahl, 28, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and finished 10th. His performance at the Olympics — and the U.S. trials that preceded them — reinforced that he already was among the best in the world in the event and had the potential to achieve more.

One difference is he will have on-site support this time. Spectators were not allowed at the Tokyo Olympics because of COVID-19. This year his support crew will include his parents and brothers Trevor and Max who, like Payton, were state championship throws at Rosemount High School.

Otterdahl likely will have to exceed his personal best to have a chance at medaling in Paris. U.S. throwers Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs have finished first and second in men’s shot put at the last two Olympics. Crouser has held the world record since June 2021. The current world mark is 23.56 meters, set by Crouser in May 2023 (he broke his own record).

Asked if chasing Crouser and Kovacs elevated his career, Otterdahl said “for sure. Those guys are No. 1 and 2 of all time. If it wasn’t for competing with them, I’m not sure I would have been able to do what I’ve done.”

Otterdahl finished third at last weekend’s Diamond League meet in London with a top throw of 22.13 meters. Leonardo Fabbri of Italy, currently ranked third in the world, won the event with Crouser and Kovacs finishing second and fourth.

Otterdahl said his results improved as he gets better command of his technique, and how to fix it on the fly if something is off. He still works with his throws coach from North Dakota State, Justin St. Clair, but St. Clair’s time is at a premium because he’s now head track and field coach at the University of Nebraska. Otterdahl has moved from Fargo to Lincoln, Nebraska, and his girlfriend Maddy Nilles is a throws coach at Nebraska.

“St. Clair is still available, but we’ve been working on helping me understand what works for me,” Otterdahl said. “Now I’m a little more self-reliant.”

Better health is helping, too. In 2022 Otterdahl was struggling with an injured hip labrum before opting for surgery in September to have it cleaned up. He was competing again the following spring and in August 2023 Otterdahl finished fifth at the world championships, his best finish so far in an international meet.

“In this sport, you’re never really 100 percent healthy,” Otterdahl said. “I needed to be a little smarter about how I train, but the hip is so much better than it was before the surgery. It isn’t limiting me at all.”

In addition to competing professionally, Otterdahl also coaches young throwers in the Lincoln area and beyond. He hopes to compete at least through the 2028 Olympics, but coaching could be a longer-term proposition.

“I enjoy coaching, and I want to continue doing it,” said Otterdahl, who was a volunteer throws coach at North Dakota State following his graduation. “When I’m working with one of the kids, I can sometimes relate it to something I’m working on.

“I find myself passing along a lot of things I got from St. Clair. Other times, it’s something (Rosemount High throws coach Tim) Conboy told me when I was a kid who was just trying to get better.”

Mike Shaughnessy can be reached at mike.shaughnessy@apgecm.com.