World Javelin Throw champion Barbora Spotakova of the Czech Republic had reportedly suffered from a sore throwing elbow since her 67.07m national record win in Osaka. On her return to competition last Sunday in Berlin (16 Sep), she was bested by the runner-up in Japan, Germany’s Christina Obergföll. Stuttgart however saw a rejuvenated gold medallist and her competition followed much the same dominant path as it had taken at those World Championships.
In the first round in Japan, Spotakova had taken the competition by the scruff of the neck with a solid 66.40m spear and then had secured her global title with her third round release (67.07). Today in Stuttgart’s Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, the 26-year-old Czech hit her first attempt hard again and on this occasion that was far and away enough to win. Spotakova's 67.12m result not only improved her young national record but demoralised the opposition. Germany’s Osaka podium finishers, Obergföll (62.47, X , 61.92, 61.97) and European champion Steffi Nerius (62.90, 64.90, X, 64.26) threw consistently well but were never truly in the hunt this afternoon.
Spotakova recognised the signs of victory and passed her next two throws, stepping up to throw in the fourth and final round with a 61.42m effort the result.
Chris Turner for the IAAF
