Javelin Throw, Women

In May Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk had thrown 71.40 metres, the third best mark of all-time, to stamp herself as the gold medal favorite. Other contenders were expected to be German Christin Hussong, China’s Lu Huihui, Australian Kelsey-Lee Barber, the 2019 World Champion, and the United States’ Maggie Malone. The best thrower over the last decade had been Czechian Barbora Špotáková, twice gold medalist in 2008 and 2012, and a three-time World Champion (2007, 2011, 2017), but at 40-years-old she seemed a bit past her prime, and she would fail to make the final.

Lu was the first thrower in the final and opened with 62.83, a mark that held up until the final effort in round one by her teammate, Liu Shiying, who recorded 66.34. And that would be it for the gold medal, as nobody would surpass that mark.

In a competition somewhat devoid of drama, Andrejczyk recorded 64.61 in round two, another mark that held up and brought her the silver medal. Barber moved into third in round two with 63.69 and would improve in round four to 64.04, although she was challenged in the final round when Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz threw 64.00, only to see Barber respond with her best mark of 64.56, which finalized the podium. Liu had only one other legal throw besides her opening mark, and passed in the final two rounds, confident that she had gold. It would be the first Olympic medal in the women’s javelin for China.

After the Olympics Andrejczyk made headlines when she agreed to auction off her silver medal to help pay for life-saving heart surgery for an eight-month-old Polish boy, Miłoszek Małysa. The medal earned $125,000 (US), given by Żabka, a Polish supermarket chain, that promptly then returned the medal to Andrejczyk.