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Stevens into world athletics discus final

Australian Dani Stevens has wasted little time in advancing to the women's discus final at the world athletics championships.

Dani Stevens

Australia's Dani Stevens has qualified for the world athletics championships discus final. (AAP)

Dani Stevens has been rewarded for her aggressive approach, with the Australian needing just one qualifying throw to advance straight to the women's discus final at the world athletics championships in London.

Stevens produced a huge throw of 65.56m on Friday morning, more than three metres past the automatic qualifying mark.

It brought back memories of the 2009 world titles in Berlin, when the then 21-year-old also advanced from qualifying at the first attempt and went on to secure a surprise gold medal.

Croatian powerhouse Sandra Perkovic also managed a huge qualifying effort of 69.67m on Friday and is the short-priced title favourite, but Stevens showed that she too deserved to be rated a genuine contender.

The Australian was the third best qualifier overall behind Perkovic and Cuban Yaime Perez (65.58m).

"It works for your own confidence if you can throw one on the first throw, just bang it out with no questions - I guess it shows what shape you're in," said the 29-year-old Stevens.

"I really wanted to be able to get out there and attack the throw.

"Learning from last year (at the Rio Olympics when she finished fourth) not to be timid, not be a bit scared of fouling out the front or out of the sector.

"I wanted to come out and throw aggressively because that's what you do normally.

"A lot of people get caught up in the distance or the mark you have to reach in qualifying.

"I really wanted to come out and smash it."

Fellow Australian Taryn Gollshewsky could only manage 54.29m in qualifying and was eliminated.

The final is on Sunday night (early Monday AEST).


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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