Franka Dietzsch, who collected her third World title late last month in Osaka, received a hero’s welcome at Gottleib-Daimler Stadium this afternoon, and she certainly didn't disappoint.
The 39-year-old, whose international debut came with a silver medal at the World Junior Championships 21 years ago, took control of the competition with a 62.58m throw in the second round to win the WAF title for the second consecutive year in Stuttgart.
The popular German opened the competition with a 61.76m effort, a little shy of Vera Pospisilova-Cechlova’s 62.04. The Czech, who took bronze in Helsinki two years ago and won the WAF title two years ago, was serious about bouncing back from the disappointment of not qualifying for the Osaka final. But after fouling in the second round, she didn’t improve with her final two efforts, paving the way for the first German victory of the weekend.
Dietzsch fouled in the third round, but capped the competition with another 62m effort, reaching 62.28.
Romanian Nicoleta Grasu was the only other thrower to reach beyond 61m, reaching 61.75 for third; American Becky Breisch, the only other in the field to throw beyond 60m (60.26), was fourth.
Bob Ramsak
