Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber today became the first woman to defend a world javelin title with a momentous victory at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA today.
Barber threw 66.91 meters on her third attempt, almost three meters better than second American Kara Winger’s 64.05m.
Barber’s effort, a world best this season, was short of his personal best of 67.7m but well beyond his season best of 61.4m.
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Team Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber celebrates after winning gold in the women’s javelin final on day eight of the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field on July 22, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP.Source: AFPEUGENE, OREGON – JULY 22: Team Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber celebrates after winning gold in the women’s javelin final on day eight of the World Championships in Oregon22 Athletics at Hayward Field on July 22, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFPSsource: AFP
Fellow Australian Mackenzie Little got the final off to an incredible start when she smashed her personal best with a first attempt of 63.22m.
She eventually finished fifth after China’s Shiying Liu (63.25m) and then Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi (63.27m) produced sensational throws in their sixth and final attempts as the medal race went down to the wire, with the silver medalist Winger also on the podium. with his own final attempt.
The 30-year-old Barber’s win makes it three medals for Australia this World Athletics Championships, after Eleanor Patterson claimed gold in the high jump and bronze for Nina Kennedy in the pole vault.
With Peter Bol in the 800m final on Sunday, and Tokyo bronze medalist Ash Moloney also a medal chance in the decathlon, Team Australia could still improve on the 2009 record of two gold medals and two of bronze
Barber adds the title to his Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo (2021), plus silver in the 2018 Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the 2014 edition of this tournament.
Barber joins Cathy Freeman (400m), Jana Pittman (400m hurdles) and Sally Pearson (100m hurdles) as the only Australian women to win multiple gold medals at the world athletics championships.
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EUGENE, OREGON – JULY 22: Kelsey-Lee Barber of Team Australia competes in the women’s javelin final on day eight of the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field on July 22, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFPSSource: AFP