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Perkovic said she lost focus in the rain delay and ruined her chances by sailing what she thought would be a 68m-69m throw into the cage. Pudenz improved from third to second in the standings with her 66.86m effort in round five but no one ever got close to Allman’s top mark. “I wish I could have stayed in that groove and try to build on that mark but to win a gold medal, it feels absolutely amazing.” “No one can ever predict a rain delay and it’s hard to get back in the groove,” Allman said. To come out with a solid mark like that felt really good.”Īllman failed on her second and third attempts but recorded 66.87m on her fifth throw, which became the third-longest throw of the evening. “My coach and I, we always talk about being able to set the tone right at the start of the competition. “The throw felt like a really good opener,” she said. On Monday, Allman built off that confidence and sent a message to her rivals with her very first throw. She was the only finalist to have thrown beyond the 70-metre mark this year. When the final resumed, Ca and two others were allowed to retake their second-round throws.Īllman, who trained as a dancer as a young girl but switched to the discus as a 15-year-old high schooler, came to Tokyo as a leading medal contender after winning the event at the US Olympic Trials in June with a throw of 70.01m. Just before that, Liliana Ca of Portugal slipped and tumbled on the slippery throwing circle, with her discus falling to the ground. The final was suspended for 57 minutes due to heavy rain.
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“I was hoping for top eight, maybe a personal best and then see what happens, but a silver medal – I never expected that."Ĭroatia’s two-time defending champion Sandra Perkovic, who had been aiming to become the first woman to win three Olympic golds in an individual athletics event, finished fourth with 65.01m. Pudenz said she never anticipated winning a medal. Kristin Pudenz of Germany took the silver medal in the rain-affected competition with a personal best throw of 66.86m, while world champion Yaime Perez of Cuba earned bronze with 65.72m. I’m still waiting for my feet to touch the ground.” "I couldn't be any happier or more proud. “I am so honoured that this has been a first gold medal (for the US) in Tokyo,” Allman said.
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She’s the third US woman to win gold in the discus and first since Stephanie Brown Trafton in 2008. Not a bad night’s work for a dancer-turned-discus thrower who now can call herself Olympic champion. What’s more, Allman’s victory on Monday night gave the United States its first athletics gold medal of the Games. Valarie Allman’s opening effort of 68.98m was enough to crown the 26-year-old US thrower as the women’s discus champion at the Tokyo Olympics.