FAVOURITE DELIVERS
DOMINANT DISPLAY REAPS WORLD RECORD FOR ANITA WLODARCZYK
HAMMER
THE ESTADIO OLIMPICO had already seen two world records as the hammer women entered the infield, but unlike in the men’s 400m and women’s 10,000m, this was barely a surprise.
Anita Wlodarczyk came into the Games as a massive favourite, unbeaten in more than two years, and she added 1.21m to her world record with a third-round 82.29m.
Anita Wlodarczyk: celebrating the Olympic title and world record
Meanwhile, Sophie Hitchon was also making history, becoming Britain’s first Olympic hammer medallist since 1924. A British record of 74.54m moved her up a place to take bronze behind China’s Zhang Wenxiu 76.75m.
Wlodarczyk followed in the footsteps of her late compatriot and friend Kamila Skolimowska, the 2000 winner and most recent Polish hammer champion. That said, it should be noted that Wlodarczyk herself could well be retrospectively awarded the 2012 title as a retest of Tatyana Lysenko-Beloborodova’s sample from London has reportedly returned positive for a banned substance.