Casualties aplenty on the hottest morning so far as the world Nos2 and 3 this year, Suzy Powell and Becky Breisch, both exited the championships by the back door. The world leader, Franka Dietzsch, made no mistake, however, moving into the final with the longest distance of the morning of 65.17.
The second furthest qualifier was European bronze medallist, Nicoletu Grasu of Romania (64.26), followed by Cuba’s Yarelis Barrios (63.44), the current Pan-American and World Student Games champion.
The European champion, Daria Pishchalnikova (RUS), ended the morning in seventh with a second-round throw of 61.88. US champion Powell and runner-up Breisch could muster no better than 59.57 and 58.42 to finish 15th and 19th, well out of contention for a final place.
They were not alone, however. Vera Cechlova of the Czech Reopublic, the bronze medallist last time around, was also unable to reach the qualifying distance.
The early morning start is often a problem, and world leader Dietzsch is not entirely impervious to the conditions. Entering the circle shortly after 10:00, the German’s first effort fell more than 10m short of her best this year, but when the second chance came along she flung the implement out to 65.17 and was home and dry.
Grasu required the full complement to make sure. As she walked back to her seat, she shook her head and threw her headscarf onto the floor, as if to say, ‘Why on earth did you not do that in the first place?’
Only two athletes from group A had no difficulty in going thorugh, Barrios and Iryna Yatchenko from Belarus, hitting 63.44 and 62.63 respectively at the first time of asking. In Group B it was Poland’s Joanna Wisniewska (63.13, a season’s best) and China’s Taifeng Sun (61.99) who needed no more than one throw before heading back to the hotel.
Osaka 2007 News Team/mb
