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All it took was one throw.
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.
What’s more, Allman’s victory on Monday night gave the United States its first athletics gold medal of the Games.
Not a bad night’s work for a dancer-turned-discus thrower who now can call herself Olympic champion.
“It sounds really amazing,” Allman said. “I’m not going to lie.”
She’s the third US woman to win gold in the discus and first since Stephanie Brown Trafton in 2008.
“I am so honoured that this has been a first gold medal (for the US) in Tokyo,” Allman said. “I couldn’t be any happier or more proud. I’m still waiting for my feet to touch the ground.”
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.
Pudenz said she never anticipated winning a medal.
“Definitely not,” she said. “I was hoping for top eight, maybe a personal best and then see what happens, but a silver medal – I never expected that.”
SOURCE: WORLD ATHLETICS
