Report13 Sep 2009


Event REPORT - Discus Throw - WOMEN

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Yarelis Barrios of Cuba dominates the women's Discus competition, setting a competition record of 65.86m (© Getty Images)

Yarelis Barrios has built a knack for collecting silver in recent years but she again proved to be unbeatable at the season-capping World Athletics Final.

The 26-year-old Cuban, who has taken successive silver medals at the past two World Championships and at last year’s Olympic Games, won her second straight WAF title tonight in a competition where three of her four throws would have sufficed for victory.

Opening with a solid 63.90m throw, Barrios reached 65.86m in the second round, a season’s best and WAF record to seal the victory.

“I was well prepared,” said Barrios, who said a victory here was important to show that her runner-up finish to the young Australian, Dani Samuels, was a minor blip on her otherwise strong campaign. “Winning here was the ideal finale.”

It was the 11th victory in 17 competitions for Barrios, who also took her second Central American and Caribbean title this season. So ‘on’ was Barrios tonight that even her third throw of 63.82m was better than anyone else could muster on the warm northern Greek evening.

With a pair of throws beyond the 63m line, Poland’s Zaneta Glanc, fourth at the World Championships, was second here, with a 63.36m best from the fourth round.

Melina Robert-Michon, the French record holder and Mediterranean Games champion was third with a 61.74m best, to edge Romanian veteran Nicoleta Grasu.

Samuels, who followed up her Berlin triumph with a third place showing in Rieti, was well off her best here, finishing back in fifth with a 59.94m throw. Olympic champion and 2009 World leader Stephanie Brown Trafton (59.66m) fared even worse, finishing a well-beaten sixth.

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

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