Jorinde van Klinken won her first global medal, taking silver in the women’s discus final at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday (14).
The Dutch athlete, European medallist, but fourth in the last two World Athletics Championships, laid down a marker in the opening round with a superb 67.50m and it was enough to clinch silver.
USA’s double Olympic champion Valarie Allman won her first elusive world title with a best of 69.38m, in the fifth round.
National record for Kamga
Sweden’s Vanessa Kamga, one of the most improved throwers in recent years, produced a national record of 66.61m in the final round. But it left her in fourth place, 64cm short of bronze medallist Silinda Moráles of Cuba.
In her eighth world final, twice champion Sandra Elkasevic fell short of another major medal. The 35-year-old placed fifth with 65.82m, her best effort coming in round four.
Proud van Klinken
"It is really hard to understand what I just did. But I am very proud," said van Klinken. "I always love competing at the world championships. It is amazing that it ended this way tonight. This season was very compressed. Within two months I had 12 competitions, with shot put as well, which was really difficult.
"But I was able to go to the USA and work with my American coach. I am proud of the unconventional way I work with two coaches. One I asked a year and a half ago if he wanted to teach technique and vision, so being able to win a world silver medal just a year and a half later feels like a dream come true.
"During the indoor season I put all my mental focus on the shot put. The technical details of the events (shot put and discus throw) are kind of in each other's way, which is why you don't see anyone else on this stage combining them.
"The whole world really wants me to focus on only one event but I really don't. I really enjoy both events and the fact that I can think about different things. It keeps it really fun for me. I think I can be a global medallist in both."