Athletics-Barber retains javelin title with world-leading throw

Australian Kelsey-Lee Barber retained the women’s world javelin title on Friday as her world-leading third-round throw of 66.91 metres gave her an emphatic victory, while the minor medals were both secured in the last round. American Kara Winger launched her sixth throw of 64.05m to take silver while Haruka Kitaguchi also pulled out a superb final 63.27m to become the first Japanese woman to win a javelin medal in a World Championships or Olympics.

China’s Liu Shiying (63.25m) and Australian Mackenzie Little, who threw a personal best 63.22m, were left empty-handed after sitting in medal positions after five rounds. Nobody, however, threatened Barber, who joins 400m runner Cathy Freeman as the only Australians to retain a world title having taken gold with a last-round throw in 2019. “I am just really soaking up the moment, it was a world of emotions,” she said. “It’s always the goal to peak at the right moment and today was always the goal.

“I always believed I had the capacity to go back-to-back. I am cementing my place as one of the world’s best javelin throwers and I want to keeping building on that.” Winger thanked her husband, who is now her coach.

“It is what I dreamed about but I am still it disbelief that it actually happened,” she said. “I have always been a stubborn wife and not listened to his good ideas until this year, when he was my coach. “I knew he was going to support me no matter what but I am so happy to make him proud.”

Kitaguchi, who trains in the Czech Republic, which has a rich heritage in the event, was in the medal positions early on but slipped back, only to come good at the end. “The first for Japan so I made the history,” she said. “Now, it is a bronze but it’s not over. My goal had been to make the top eight in the final but now I will be working harder and harder to win gold next time.”

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)