Three-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser shares one mistake Los Angeles Games can’t make

Ryan Crouser is no stranger to competing at the Olympics , having won three-consecutive gold medals in shot put at the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games.

Looking forward to 2028, the Team USA star revealed the one thing he doesn’t want to see happen when the annual multi-sport competition travels to Los Angeles .

Earlier this month, Crouser made history by becoming the first shot putter - man or woman - to ever take home Olympic gold three separate times. The 31-year-old most recently secured his spot atop the podium with a throw of 22.90m in Paris. He also actively holds the world record of 23.56m and the Olympic record of 23.30m.

On the heels of competing in front of no spectators in Tokyo three years ago, Crouser was blown away by the lively crowd that packed into the Stade de France to watch him throw.

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“What stood out to me was just the enthusiasm that the city had for it,” he exclusively told Mirror Sport U.S. “And the crowds were fantastic. The stadium was unbelievably loud, which was refreshing to see.

“My hat still goes off to Tokyo. The job that they did hosting the Olympics during a global pandemic was second to none. They did a fantastic job. But just Paris, having the fans back - and very passionate, fantastic fans - was special to me.”

Crouser expects there to be no shortage of excitement when the Olympics come stateside in four years. The American plans to retire on home soil at the Los Angeles Games, thereby fulfilling a lifelong dream of his.

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As anticipation begins to grow for the 2028 Olympics, Crouser issued a single request to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“The one thing that I hope L.A. doesn't make the mistake of is fragmenting the Olympics too much,” said Crouser, who’s partnered with Thorne and is a long-time user of their products. “What makes the Olympics special is that one host city having that Olympic atmosphere.

“And if you haven't been to the Olympics, it's difficult to describe, but it's like the one city is all in for a couple of weeks on hosting the Olympics. The whole world is there.

“It's really just like that city becomes the host to the entire world and showcases what makes that city special, what makes the residents of the city special. And Paris did a great job of hosting that.”

While Los Angeles is set to serve as the 2028 Olympic host city, multiple events have already been scheduled to take place in other cities that are scattered throughout greater Los Angeles County. Softball and canoe slalom are additionally expected to be held in Oklahoma City, per The Athletic .

“I know the L.A. games, there are talks of moving certain sports out and kind of fragmenting it as an American Olympics,” Crouser continued. “I know there are challenges to hosting games in L.A. logistically, but I hope it doesn't fragment too much and lose what makes the Olympics special.”