2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw

Li Yanfeng celebrating in Daegu
Official Video

The women's discus throw event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 27 and 28.

Dani Samuels was the defending champion, but had not performed well prior to the event. Germany's Nadine Müller was the leader in the Diamond League, but it was Chinese thrower Li Yanfeng who held the best mark that season (67.98 m). Stephanie Brown Trafton entered as the reigning Olympic champion, while 2009 World medallists Yarelis Barrios and Nicoleta Grasu were other prominent competitors.[1][2] Sandra Perković, the leading athlete earlier in the season, was absent due to a six-month ban for doping offences.[3]

Nadine Müller had the best mark in the qualifying rounds, with her sole throw of 65.54 m to make the final. Li Yanfeng and Yarelys Barrios were the next best throwers in the first round. Dani Samuels narrowly avoided elimination, while Aretha Thurmond was among those to miss the final.[4] In the final the following day, Li took the lead in the first round with a throw of 65.28 m and Müller followed her over the 65 m line into second place. Żaneta Glanc of Poland had an opening throw of 63.91 m, moving into third place. The top three remained unchanged after the second throw, although Li improved her lead to 66.52 m and Müller consolidated her second place with a mark of 65.97 m. Barrios of Cuba moved into third in the next round with her best mark of the competition (65.73 m) and defending champion Samuels was struck out in the final cut off. Brown Trafton threw her best (63.85 m) in round four, moving into fifth place, but the medal positions remained unchanged thereafter – Li won the gold medal, while Müller and Barrios took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.[5]

Although Li had won gold medals in Asian-level competitions, it was the 32-year-old's first medal of any colour on the world stage. She credited her success to her work with German coach Karl-Heinz Steinmetz and increased seasonal competition against foreign athletes.[6] Müller silver also represented her first medal at a global championships. For Barrios it was her fourth consecutive time on the major podium, having been runner-up at the two previous world championships and winner of the 2008 Olympic silver medal.

Medalists

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Gold Silver Bronze
Li Yanfeng
 China (CHN)
Nadine Müller
 Germany (GER)
Yarelys Barrios
 Cuba (CUB)

Records

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Prior to the competition, the established records were as follows.

World record  Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) 76.80 Neubrandenburg, East Germany 7 July 1988
Championship record  Martina Hellmann (GDR) 71.62 Rome, Italy 31 August 1987
World leading  Li Yanfeng (CHN) 67.98 Schönebeck, Germany 5 June 2011
African record  Elizna Naudé (RSA) 64.87 Stellenbosch, South Africa 2 March 2003
Asian record  Xiao Yanling (CHN) 71.68 Beijing, China 14 March 1992
North, Central American and Caribbean record  Hilda Ramos (CUB) 70.88 Havana, Cuba 8 May 1992
South American record  Elisângela Adriano (BRA) 62.00 São Caetano do Sul, Brazil 23 July 2011
European record  Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) 76.80 Neubrandenburg, East Germany 7 July 1988
Oceanian record  Daniela Costian (AUS) 68.72 Auckland, New Zealand 22 January 1994

Qualification standards

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A standard B standard
62.00 m 59.50 m

Schedule

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Date Time Round
August 27, 2011 10:05 Qualification
August 28, 2011 19:05 Final

Results

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Qualification

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Qualification: Qualifying Performance 62.00 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.

Rank Group Athlete Nationality #1 #2 #3 Result Notes
1 A Nadine Müller  Germany (GER) 65.54 65.54 Q
2 B Li Yanfeng  China (CHN) x 64.44 64.44 Q
3 A Yarelis Barrios  Cuba (CUB) 63.80 63.80 Q
4 B Żaneta Glanc  Poland (POL) 59.48 63.44 63.44 Q
5 A Tan Jian  China (CHN) 62.26 62.26 Q
6 B Stephanie Brown Trafton  United States (USA) 61.89 x 59.87 61.89 q
7 A Zinaida Sendriūtė  Lithuania (LTU) x 56.61 61.72 61.72 q
8 A Dragana Tomašević  Serbia (SRB) 60.45 x x 60.45 q
9 B Denia Caballero  Cuba (CUB) x 52.93 60.36 60.36 q
10 B Nicoleta Grasu  Romania (ROM) 60.13 58.25 59.58 60.13 q
11 A Dani Samuels  Australia (AUS) 59.77 60.05 59.98 60.05 q
12 A Darya Pishchalnikova  Russia (RUS) 54.11 59.94 59.53 59.94 q
13 B Aretha Thurmond  United States (USA) 59.88 x 59.48 59.88
14 A Ma Xuejun  China (CHN) 55.80 59.34 59.71 59.71
15 A Gia Lewis-Smallwood  United States (USA) x 56.91 59.49 59.49
16 A Natalya Fokina-Semenova  Ukraine (UKR) 56.73 55.16 58.27 58.27
17 B Monique Jansen  Netherlands (NED) 58.23 58.06 57.96 58.23
18 A Andressa de Morais  Brazil (BRA) x 44.41 57.93 57.93
19 B Kazai Suzanne Kragbé  Ivory Coast (CIV) 57.55 55.75 x 57.55
20 B Kateryna Karsak  Ukraine (UKR) 57.54 x 57.29 57.54
21 B Harwant Kaur  India (IND) 55.50 56.49 52.98 56.49
22 B Elisângela Adriano  Brazil (BRA) 56.28 53.70 56.45 56.45
23 A Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová  Czech Republic (CZE) 53.87 51.52 x 53.87
24 B Karen Gallardo  Chile (CHI) 51.32 52.33 53.69 53.69

Final

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Format: Each athlete has three attempts, then the eight best performers have three further attempts

Li Yanfeng celebrating her victory in Daegu
Rank Athlete Nationality #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Result Notes
1st place, gold medalist(s) Li Yanfeng  China (CHN) 65.28 66.52 65.50 64.32 64.34 63.83 66.52
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Nadine Müller  Germany (GER) 65.06 65.97 64.08 62.55 x x 65.97
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Yarelys Barrios  Cuba (CUB) x 61.87 65.73 63.93 x 63.90 65.73 SB
4 Żaneta Glanc  Poland (POL) 63.91 62.30 63.11 62.69 62.17 60.32 63.91
5 Stephanie Brown Trafton  United States (USA) 60.20 60.97 60.24 63.85 60.26 x 63.85
6 Tan Jian  China (CHN) 60.46 61.44 61.79 62.96 x 61.12 62.96
7 Dragana Tomašević  Serbia (SRB) 62.26 58.97 62.48 x 59.03 58.63 62.48 SB
8 Nicoleta Grasu  Romania (ROM) 57.95 60.34 62.08 60.79 60.45 60.72 62.08
9 Denia Caballero  Cuba (CUB) 60.73 60.46 x 60.73
10 Dani Samuels  Australia (AUS) 58.08 59.14 x 59.14
11 Darya Pishchalnikova  Russia (RUS) 56.89 58.10 57.61 58.10
12 Zinaida Sendriūtė  Lithuania (LTU) x 57.30 53.53 57.30

References

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  1. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (2011-08-19). Women’s Discus Throw - PREVIEW Archived 2012-05-09 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  2. ^ Discus Throw 2011. IAAF (2011-08-27). Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  3. ^ World Championships preview – women’s field events Archived 2012-06-16 at the Wayback Machine. Athletics Weekly (2011-08-25). Retrieved on 2011-08-28.
  4. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (2011-08-27). Women's Discus Throw - Qualification - Muller leads the round, Samuels squeaks through Archived 2012-05-15 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-08-29.
  5. ^ Rowbottom, Mike (2011-08-28). Women's Discus Throw - Final - Li dominates final to give China its first gold medal Archived 2012-05-15 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-08-29.
  6. ^ Butcher, Michael (2011-08-28). Discus champion Li Yanfeng’s German Connection Archived 2011-10-30 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-08-29.
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