Tokyo 2020 - China's Gong Lijiao wins gold in women's shot put final, Valerie Adams makes remarkable comeback
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ByEurosport
Updated 01/08/2021 at 04:47 GMT
Gong Lijiao cruised to victory in the women's shot put final, the winner of the 2017 and 2019 World Athletics Championships produced a PB to win her first ever Olympic gold medal. Elsewhere, there was slight disappointment for Wayde Van Niekerk in his 400m heat and success for Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
Gong Lijiao
Image credit: Getty Images
China's Gong Lijiao has won gold in the women's shot put final after producing a personal best result of 20.58m.
It never looked in doubt for Gong in the stifling hot conditions, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius trackside at the Olympic Stadium, as she produced her brilliant result on her sixth and final attempt.
USA's Raven Saunders took silver with her score of 19.79 and New Zealand's Valerie Adams picked up a bronze with 19.62.
It is Gong's first ever Olympic gold in her fourth games, but it was also a remarkable comeback from third-placed Adams, who was returning to the top of the sport after giving birth to her son in 2019.
There was also a surprise as USA's Jessica Ramsey, widely considered one of the favourites going into the final, went out after fouling on her first three attempts.
Elsewhere, Great Britain's Aimee Pratt came 11th in the second heat of the women's 3000m steeplechase heat with her time of 9:47.56. In heat 3 in the same event, GB's Elizabeth Bird came fifth with 9:24.34.
Abigail Irozuru qualified in the women's long jump. She jumped 6.75m on her third attempt which was her season best score. Jazmin Sawyers finished in seventh with 6.62.
Also in the long jump, Lorraine Ugen came 14th with 6.05 not enough to qualify.
In the 400m heats, Rio 2016 gold medallist Wayde Van Niekerk finished third with a time of 45.25 seconds.
The current world and Olympic record holder in the 400m finished behind first-placed Anthony Zambrano from Colombia (44.87) and Australia's Steven Solomon (44.94).
In the women's hammer throw qualifying, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic champion Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk topped Group A with her throw of 76.99m on her first attempt being the best of the bunch, ahead of USA's Brooke Anderson who came second with 74.00m.
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