Eric Randolph Barnes (born June 16, 1966) is an American former shot putter who held the outdoor world record for the event from 1990 to 2021.

[3] Barnes was born in Charleston, West Virginia,[1] grew up in nearby St. Albans, and began putting the shot in high school.

[1] On January 20, 1989, he set a new indoor world record at the Sunkist Invitational in Los Angeles with a put of 22.66 metres (74.3 ft), which was better than his outdoor personal best at the time.

Barnes was banned from competing for 27 months after testing positive for the anabolic steroid methyltestosterone at a competition in Malmö, Sweden, on August 7 that same year.

[5] At the 1996 Olympic Games, Barnes won the gold medal that eluded him 8 years earlier with a come-from-behind 21.62 metres (70.9 ft) put on his final attempt.