Dietzsch regains her crown

After finishing only 27th in the Olympic Games last year, Germany’s Franka Dietzsch regained the world discus title she won in Seville in 1999 this evening with a fourth round throw of 66.56.

The conditions could hardly have been more different from when she last won six years ago, and with the athletes throwing into a cold wind, this was never likely to be a final of massive distances.

In fact, Dietzsch’s winning mark is the lowest for a gold medal in world championships history. Having said that, she also had three other marks further than anyone else threw in the whole competition, so it was a dominating performance.

With the silver going to Russia’s Natalya Sadova for her first round effort of 64.33 and bronze to the Czech Republic’s Vera Pospisilova-Cechlova for her fifth round 63.19, this was also the lowest scoring discus final of any world championships. Never before has a medal been won with a throw of less than 65.00.

While the early evening rain had stopped, the throwers still spent much of their time trying to stay warm, many of them scurrying back into the shelter for their warm gear as soon as they had taken their throws.

Dietzsch, in her eighth world championships, took an early lead. Her first throw virtually landed on the tape marking 65 metres, more than a metre short of her best this year. It was measured as 64.89. Sadova, this year’s world leader, was the only one to get close to that in the first round. Her first round effort landed side up in the soft turf at 64.33.

At the end of the first round only five of the finalists had thrown more than 60 metres. One of those was the world leader Pospisilova-Cechlova and she improved in the second round to 63.00 to move into third place.

The powerful Dietzsch looked the most determined all night, and the most consistent. She reached 64.08 with her second and 64.36 with her third for a remarkably regular set of throws.

By contrast, Sadova struggled to find her rhythm. Her second round effort dropped at 60.63 and her third at 61.28.

At the half way stage, Dietzsch’s first round throw still held the lead from Sadova and Pospisilova-Cechlova. Romania’s 2001 silver medallist Nicoleta Grasu, who was lying 12th and last with a best of only 55.75, moved into fifth with her third throw of 62.05 winning her three more attempts. A throw of 59.37, by Ukraine’s Olena Antonova, was enough to make the cut.

Pospisilova-Cechlova her blond hair tied back by a stream of ribbons when she throws, spent the time between rounds with a woollen skull cap pulled tight around her ears. Dietzsch sat in the shelter and blew kisses at the camera, while Sadova went to talk to her husband and coach, Mikhail Sadova, at the side of the track and paced around the ribbon practising her style.

No one improved in the fourth round before Dietzsch connected with her big one. She knew as soon as it left her hand that it would be the winner. As the discus landed she threw her arms over her head, bounced on her knees and punched the night sky grinning broadly beneath her curly blond locks.

It was further than she has thrown this year, her previous best coming as long ago as the 21st May. Only Pospisilova-Cechlova has thrown further this season. She and Sadova, twice an Olympic silver medallist, now only had two attempts to make up the ground.

In the fifth round, the Czech improved to 63.19, but it wasn’t enough to take second place. Sadova managed 62.68, her second best but no way near good enough. Dietzsch, now full of confidence, whipped hers to 65.29, her second best but more than a metre further than anyone else had managed all night.

As the tension rose, Dietzsch and Sadova prowled around the ribbon waiting for their final attempts., while Pospisilova-Cechlova stood with her hands over her mouth staring down the stadium, as if looking for inspiration.

She didn’t find it. Her final throw landed short of 60 metres and she deliberately fouled. But she was happy enough to have a medal and bounced out of the circle with her finger pointed at the sky.

Sadova’s last fell at 61.59 and Dietzsch, declining to take her last throw, skipped around in joy, hugging everyone in sight, including the officials. Tears in her eyes she eventually made it to her coach and grabbed the German flag.

She couldn’t stop punching the air. She was a champion again.

PospisilovaCechlova Top Of The Class

The clouds departed, the sun came out and it gave the discus qualifiers a lift.

Twice a finalist, but this time in with a chance of a medal, the Czech Republic’s Vera Pospisilova-Cechlova was second into the circle and seemed in a hurry to enjoy the good weather. She made no mistake, qualifying with her first throw, reaching out to 64.26 metres, more than three metres over the 61m qualifying mark and furthest of the morning.

She was rapidly followed into the changing room by the three-time Chinese champion Aimin song, 64.15 and this year’s Mediterranean Games champion from Serbia, Dragana Tomasevic, 62.02. Olympic fifth placer, Ukraine’s Olena Antonova, waited until the third round to creep over the pink tape by five centimetres.

Throwing first in group B, former champion Franka Dietzsch from Germany was in no mood for hanging around and went through to the final with her first throw of the day, 63.53. 2001 World Championship silver, Nicoleta Grasu of Romania followed suit with her first heave of 62.06, while Natalya Sadova shot to the top of the group qualifiers with 63.65 on her first attempt.

Getting into the top 12 without reaching the qualifying mark were from group A Joanna Wisniewska POL, 59.66, the remaining finalists coming from the second group: Anna Soderberg SWE, 59.94, former champion Beatrice Faumuina NZL, 59.81, Shuli Ma CHN, 59.43 and Natalya Fokina UKR, 59.30.