Eric Favors

Eric Favors (born 16 November 1996)[1] is an American-born athlete who competes in the shot put for Ireland.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] He currently holds the Irish national record in the event.[9]

Career

Summer Universiade 2019

In 2019, Favors competed at the Summer Universiade, where he finished 10th in the shot put.

2022 season

In 2022, Favors finished 10th overall at the European Throwing Cup, recording a best mark of 19.70 meters. He also participated in the European Athletics Championships, where he placed 15th in the qualification round, failing to advance to the final. Later that year, he competed in his first World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, finishing 20th out of 30 participants with a best throw of 19.76 meters, again not advancing to the final.

2023 season

In 2023, Favors improved his performance at the European Throwing Cup, finishing 5th with a throw of 20.66 meters. He also played a significant role in Ireland's promotion at the 2023 European Games by winning the shot put event in Division 3, although he did not win a medal. At his second World Championships, Favors finished 23rd out of 37 competitors.

2024 season and Paris Olympics

In April 2024 Eric Broke the National Record throwing 20.93m. Favors narrowly missed advancing to the final at the European Championships, finishing 14th, one place better than his 2022 performance. Despite not meeting the entry standards, he qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris based on his Olympic rankings. He finished 18th in the shot put with a best mark of 19.02 meters.

National championships results

Indoor

  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2023
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2022

Outdoor

  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2024
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2023
  • 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2022
  • 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2019

Major Championship Results

Year Competition Pos Event Mark
2019 Universiade 9th Shot Put 19.20
2022 European Throwing Cup 10th 19.70
World Championships 20th 19.76
European Championships 15th 19.71
2023 European Throwing Cup 5th 20.66
World Championships 23rd 19.65
2024 European Championships 14th 19.60
Olympic Games 27th 19.02

Personal life

Eric Favors is eligible to represent Ireland due to his family connections in Ballina, County Mayo. Before focusing on athletics, Favors played American football in high school. He also maintains a YouTube channel with 11,100 subscribers, where he shares videos on shot put workouts and training sessions.

References

  1. ^ "Eric FAVORS | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  2. ^ Dennehy, Cathal (February 18, 2023). "'I know I can compete with the top dudes in the world' - Eric Favors on big shot put ambitions". Irish Examiner.
  3. ^ Browne, P. J. (March 4, 2020). "From High School American Football Star To Competing For Ireland". Balls.ie.
  4. ^ "Track & field: North Rockland grad Eric Favors breaks own Irish national indoor shot record". The Journal News.
  5. ^ "Eric Favors working on Plan B version of his dream". The Journal News.
  6. ^ "Eric Favors". University of South Carolina Athletics. June 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Eric Favors hopes National Championships success can launch him to World final". Independent.ie. February 18, 2023.
  8. ^ "Athlete who trains at Garage Strength 20th in shot put at World Track and Field". July 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Eric Favors sets National Shot Put Record". Athletics Ireland.