Auriol Dongmo of Portugal established a new meeting record and improved the world-leading mark to win the women’s Shot Put competition at Friday’s Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe – the first meeting in the 2021 World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series.
Dongmo, who also set a new personal and national record in the process, tossed the shot 19.65 meters to secure the victory and improved Christina Schwanitz’s previous world-leading mark in just her first meeting of the season.
Dongmo Pleased With Season Opener
“I am really happy with this competition,” Dongmo said. “It was what we had been waiting for. It doesn’t make any difference to me that there is no audience. It is always stressful to compete with the “big” athletes. To compete against them puts a lot of pressure on me.”
All four of Dongmo’s legal throws were further than her previous personal best of 18.37m.
After opening the competition with a mark of 18.81m to set a personal best, Dongmo then heaved to shot to the eventual winning mark in the second round of the contest.
The 30-year-old two-time African champion also had marks of 19.03m in the third round and 19.14m in the fifth round. Both marks also had marks of 19.03m in the third round and 19.14m in the fifth round. Both marks were also better than her previous best.
“I give all my best to compete well and make this happen. My coach and I have been working on the technique a lot because my technique is not very good. But I try to improve it every day and this is the result.
“This pandemic is really bad but for the athletes it was good to have more time for the Olympics. For me, it is okay.”
Top Four Result….
Fanny Roos set a personal best and national record of 18.6m in the sixth and final round to finish second.
Great Britain’s Sophie McKinna improved her career best to 18.46m for third place en route to breaking into the 18m standard for the first time in her indoor career.
Schwanitz, the 2015 world shot put champion and world-leader entering this meet, was far from her best today, finishing fifth with an effort of 18.27m in the third round.
Three-time US champion Chase Ealey was fourth with 18.34m.
