September 13th was the opening day of the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. While there will be plenty of action over the next 18 days, it will be a slow start, with today consisting largely of qualifying rounds. The most prestigious event will be the men’s shot put, with the qualifying stage taking place in the morning and the final in the afternoon. One of Mexico’s best hopes for these championships will be competing, and while Uziel Muñoz is not expected to win a medal, he has a good chance of making the final.
It has been 11 years since Muñoz, then a young boy from Chihuahua, won two silver medals (in the shot put and discus) at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships. One of the major influences on his career has been his brother, Mateo, now sadly departed. It was Mateo who pressured him to cut down on the partying and take athletics more seriously. Progress came slowly, centimetre by centimetre, and it was 2019 before Uziel got a taste of the big time, making his first appearance in a World Championships. He finished well down the rankings, but was only twenty-five, and there was plenty of time to improve.
Uziel Muñoz’s chances at the World Athletic Championships
He missed out on the 2020 Olympics, but 2022 saw him back in the World Championships. By now, he had added over a meter to his best distance and that was good enough to make the final. The 2023 Pan American title followed and he was 8th in the 2024 Olympics. Uziel Muñoz was now ranked in the world’s top ten, but the years had rolled by, and he was thirty. It was questionable how much further improvement he could make.
Uziel Muñoz is, of course, a big man, standing 1.85 and weighing 121 kg (6’1″ and 267 pounds). He has incredible strength in his shoulders. However, he is not a giant by the standards of this sport. The world number one, Ryan Crouser of the U.S., dwarfs him at 2 meters and 145 kg. Crouser comes to Tokyo seeking his third world title, but his selection has been controversial. He has been injured all season and has yet to throw in a competition. His inclusion in the U.S. team also means that there is no place for another great thrower, Joseph Kovacs, the man who has won medals at the last five World Championships.
Day one qualifying
The morning session in Tokyo gets underway with the 36 throwers divided into two groups. To reach the final, a competitor will have to throw over 21.35 meters or finish in the top 12. That automatic qualifying mark proves a tough target, and only New Zealander Tom Walsh and the Americans Adrian Piperi and Crouser achieve it. To the relief of everybody, Crouser’s damaged elbow stands up to the pressure of hurling a four-kilogram ball of iron 20 meters. Muñoz opens his qualifying campaign with a solid 20.48 and always looks good for the final, although he doesn’t secure that place until his final throw. His third and best throw is 20.77 meters, ranking him ninth of the 12 finalists.
So to the final. A solid first round sees eight of the twelve athletes throwing over 20 meters, leaving Muñoz sixth with an opening effort of 20.58. Having got one throw safely in, the leading men can put that little extra effort and take the extra risk of fouling in the second round. This is a good round for both Muñoz, who unexpectedly moves into third place, and Crouser, who takes the lead for the first time. However, the American is nursing his elbow and throwing well under his best. His third consecutive title is by no means secure at this point.
A final round surprise
Going into the final round, Crouser has managed one big throw, pushing the shot over the 22-meter line. His third world title now looks safe. Muñoz is in fourth. But he slips down a place when the big Nigerian, Chukwuebuka Cornnell Enekwechi, manages 21 meters 52 with his last throw. The day-long competition is entering its final drama as the Mexican enters the circle. Only three throwers remain, and Muñoz stands out as the only one likely to influence the leading results.
Muñoz’s face is tight in concentration. The advantage of being “only” six feet tall allows him more speed as he spins across the small throwing circle. It all comes together, and the shot drops around the 22-meter line. Muñoz is smiling. He knows this is a good throw. Then he sees the result and leaps into the air. It’s 21.97 meters, a Mexican record and a silver medal.
Mexico’s best shot putters
Thirty is not old for a shot putter and there is no talk of retirement. The Olympics are still three years away, but the time will go quickly. There is another motivation that Muñoz regularly mentions. Mexico has no tradition of producing throwers. The only other shot putter to wear Mexican colors in recent Olympics is Stephen Saenz. And he grew up and learned to throw in the USA. In the 2025 Mexican Championships, Jairo Morán, from Chiapas, threw 19.19 meters in the shot, which is edging towards world-class.
Nobody else, however, is anywhere close to that standard. Indeed, although Muñoz does not take the discus seriously, he still clinched this year’s Mexican Championship with a throw that would be considered “club level” in Europe. Muñoz is passionate about improving Mexican throwing and knows every time he reaches a big final, he might inspire a few young boys and girls to pick up a shot or a discus.
So as Mexican athletics gears up for the next Olympic cycle, remember the name Uziel Muñoz. A family man and a gentle giant. An intelligent man who has a degree in Business Administration from the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez. Uziel Muñoz, silver medalist in the World Championships.
Bob Pateman is a Mexico-based historian, librarian and a life-term hasher. He is editor of On On Magazine, the international history magazine of hashing.
