David Storl of Germany celebrates winning the men's shot put final (© Getty Images)
New face on the block David Storl not only proved himself a worthy shot put champion but for the first time he was the winner on a night where an American athlete failed to win a medal of any colour for 20 years.
The German who has quickly progressed to becoming senior gold medallist after winning World Youth and Junior titles has had a memorable two days which he is unlikely ever to experience again in his life.
The 21-year-old's face showed not only a look of joy but a little bit of amazement after throwing a third personal best to win in the Daegu 2011 stadium - the first of 21.50m came in the preliminary round - and pushing Canada's World leader Dylan Armstrong and 2003 champion Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus who had best efforts of 21.64 and 21.40m, into the lower podium positions.
His success came on a night when not only did he thrash his American rivals and past winners, fourth placed Christian Cantwell, Reese Hoffa who finished behind his team mate plus Adam Nelson eighth, while Poland's Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski failed to make the final cut.
It was a fairytale win for Storl who started with a no throw in the first round as Hoffa with an effort of 20.90m led from Armstrong (20.79m) and Portugal's Marco Fortes who reached out to 20.59m.
Storl throwing fourth went into the lead in the next with a PB of 21.60m while Hoffa the 2007 champion peppering the 21m line raised what would prove to be his best of the competition to 20.99m with Armstrong remaining third.
Mikhnevich who had delivered a lifetime best of 22.10m just prior to coming to the Championships in the next round got his 16lb ball out to 21.40m and moved into second position while Cantwell with 20.83m went fourth.
The cut having been decided and Majewski along with two-time German bronze medallist Ralf Bartels sidelined, the beginning saw Armstrong take the lead. The current Samsung Diamond League leader threw 21.64m to leap frog ahead of Storl who had a no throw with Mikhnevich staying third.
There was no change to the leaderboard in the fifth round and no one apart from Cantwell (21.36m) - he stayed fourth - improved until it came to Storl's final attempt in a competition he had already distinguished himself in.
The young German did everything right and winged his shot out to another PB of 21.78m to become his country's first ever gold medallist. Armstrong following him into the circle withy the last attempt of the final, gave it everything he had but produced a foul but celebrated by wining Canada's first ever medal in the discipline.
David Martin for the IAAF
