22.08.2009

Golden girl Samuels takes victory in Berlin

Twenty-one-year-old Dani Samuels has become Australia's first gold medallist of the 12th IAAF world championships and the youngest world discus champion in history after taking out the gold medal overnight with a new personal best performance in Berlin.

Samuels recorded a best throw of 65.44m to claim Australia’s first ever female world title in the field, a massive 2.49m ahead of the career best 62.95m (Brisbane, 1/03/08) she took into the championships.

Sitting in 10th position after two rounds, Samuels needed to pull out a big throw with her third attempt to avoid elimination from the competition.  Soaking up the pressure, she threw an impressive 62.71m to move into third place and secure herself another three throws.

Confidence growing, the 21-year-old let her fourth attempt fly, producing a personal best throw of 64.76m and moving up into second position.

Improving again with her fifth throw Samuels further extended her personal best with a massive throw of 65.44m to take the competition lead and held on throughout the final round to take out the gold medal.

In taking out the championship Samuels, a five-time national champion, became the youngest ever winner of the women's discus throw at a world titles, surpassing German Martina Opitz who claimed gold in 1983 at 22 years of age.

The result also launches the 2005 world youth and 2006 world junior champion to No. 3 on the Australian all-time list behind Daniela Costian (68.72m) and Lisa-Marie Vizaniari (65.86m).

 Samuels was ecstatic after the win, a result that has cemented her status as a big-time performer.

"I don't know what to say, that was just the comp of my life," Samuels said.

"I knew I could throw 64m at least and I'm so happy to have been able to do it under pressure."

After a rain-delayed start and unsettled opening throw, Samuels regained her composure to take command of the competition.

"I was a little bit worried after my second warm-up and my first throw, our event was delayed by an hour or more in the call room and I hadn't touched a disc until I came out here, I hadn't had any standing throws which is not like me at all, I usually have a couple of full throws out there," Samuels said.

"Once I got into my rhythm I could relax a bit and I was in third place by then which was fantastic but I knew I wasn't safe, so I just had to relax and not force it was the advice (coach) Denis (Knowles) gave me, which turned out to be great advice."

Samuels said the two personal best throws she recorded in the final were the result of nailing her technique right when it mattered most.

"They all felt really good like they had been at training but I never knew how far they were in training, I didn't know it was that big," Samuels said.

"When it landed over the 65m line I thought, 'oh my God', I still can't believe I threw that far because they just felt so perfect and so effortless, I didn't force them at all and that just shows how important technique is, once you nail it it just comes out all by itself."

Watch Dani Samuels' post-event interview here.

Coach Denis Knowles said the victory was a deserved result.

"She's won everything and been very consistent at 62m but there's always been something bigger waiting to happen and fortunately it came in the right competition, which is this one. I didn't want it to come next weekend, this is the one," he said.

"She's been better prepared than she's ever been so physically she's in better shape, she learned a hell of a lot in Beijing last year and from her first world championships in Osaka two years ago.

"She's met some good, well-credentialed throwers this season... and done it well."

Entering the men’s 50km race walk with high hopes, dual Olympic medalist Jared Tallent and teammate Luke Adams may not have got the medals they so badly wanted, but were still impressive finishing seventh and sixth respectively.

The pair put themselves in the race from the offset staying with the lead group for the majority of the race but struggled with the conditions on the final lap, Adams finishing in the personal best time of 3.43.39, Tallent in 3.44.50.

Leaving nothing left the duo were physically exhausted following the finish, Adams confident he had nothing else to give.

"I did what I could. I put myself up there. I was in the red at 38km and from then it was just agony," Adams said.

Watch Luke Adams' post-race interview here

Australia’s fastest men also took to the track, taking on world and Olympic champions Jamaica in the heat’s of the men’s 4x100m relay.

Posting their best time of the season, the team of Anthony Alozie, Joshua Ross, Aaron Rouge-Serret and Matt Davies came through in third position in 38.93 seconds but it was not enough to advance through to the final.

The team achieved their goal of breaking thirty nine seconds but were frustrated not to advance.

“We were closer than we thought to Jamaica, but with Italy in the outside lane, you don't see where they are until the final exchange and they popped out well.  Our goal this championship was to break 39 seconds and we did that so we are all rapt,” Rouge-Serret said.

Watch the team's post-race interview here

The action continues on day eight of the IAAF World Championships with Olympic pole vault Champion Steve Hooker and Australian long jump sensations Mitchell Watt and Fabrice Lapierre lining up in finals action.  A team of four take on the grueling men’s marathon, while the men’s and women’s 4x400m teams take to the track for their respective heats.

The men’s marathon will be shown live on SBS TWO from 7:30pm, with more live action on SBS ONE and TWO from 2am.