With a fluctuating but generally strong wind blowing from behind the throwers, which was at times was gusty, the conditions for the women’s Discus were far from ideal. The competition never came alive in terms of overall distances achieved - only three women managed to get past 60m - but it did provide a moment of revenge for Olympic champion Natalya Sadova of Russia over Germany’s newly crowned World Champion Franka Dietzsch.
The 37-year-old German took the opening advantage with 61.61m but throwing next and last in the first round Sadova, 33, immediately trumped it with 62.44. The same scenario occurred in the second round as Dietzsch improved her competition best to 61.91 but the Russian again responded by increasing her own to 63.40, which ultimately was the winning throw.
With a 61.77 and then a foul completing the World Champion’s four throw series, it was just left to Sadova, after 59.98 on her third attempt, to seal her series with another impressive release, this time of 62.17.
The surprise was 28-year-old American Aretha Thurmond (PB 65.86 – 2004) who threw 60.68 in the third round to take third position, which was enough to deny World bronze medallist Vera Pospisilova-Cechlova – fourth 58.38.
CT
