World champion Frank Dietzsch (EURGer) took this four series competition by the scruff of the neck with her first throw of 64.56m, and extended her lead to 66.07m in the second round, and substantiated her form again with 64.18m in the third, before closing with a foul. This will perhaps be one of the easiest sets of nine points that Europe will secure this weekend.
USA’s Aretha Thurmond, the 2003 Pan Am champion, provided a respectable harrying of the 1999 and 2005 World gold medallist throughout the competition with a best of 61.83m on her second attempt, with 61.10 and 60.45 following.
Third place was taken by Asia’s Aimin Song (CHN) with a third round 61.47m.
Russia’s Darya Pishchalnikova, the 2004 World Junior silver medallist, who had surprised Dietzsch in Gothenburg last month snatching an unexpected senior European Championship gold ahead of the 38-year-old German veteran, rallied in the third round with a 61.39m effort for fourth.
Dietzsch's comment after her win summed up the potential threat posed by the Russian - "Eventhough the others didn't throw well today, I always had an eye on them because they have 66m PBs." Well, actually 65.55m in the case of the 21-year-old Russian.
Chris Turner
