Home » News and Media » News » 2009 » August » Berlin Day 5 - Morning session - LIVE
19.08.2009
Twenty-one-year-old Dani Samuels goes into this morning's qualifying round of the women's discus knowing she is in the best shape of her career.
Samuels threw 62.89cm at Ústí Nad Labem in the Czech Republic in late July, a distance just six centimetres below her best.
The Sydneysider is a former world youth and junior champion and is fast developing a reputation on the senior circuit.
In Belgrade five weeks ago she won her first open title at the World University Games, before going on to defeat discus legend Franke Dietsch in Zeulenroda, Germany.
The first group is already under way and already there are four throwers over the automatic qualifying mark of 61.50m. One athlete who has not made the distance is Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton (USA). Her third throw fell 27 centimetres short at 61.23m, and she will have a nervous wait for the results of the second group.
Xuejun Ma (China) leads the group with 63.38m and is currently joined by four other qualifiers, Yarelis Barrios (Cuba), Sandra Perkovic (Croatia), two-times world medallist Nicola Grasu form Romania and Germany's Nadine Muller.
As the first group is just about complete, the young Australian puts on her throwing shoes in preparation for the start in a few minutes.
The 21-year-old looks pretty relaxed out there as she prepares for a warm-up throw, looking good in the easy-to-spot Australian Flame cap and tracksuit pants.
Wait, she decides that the cap and tracksuit pants won't be needed, and now stands in line in competition gear, tossing the discus up and down.
She sends her warm-up throw out near the automatic mark before having a chat to coach Denis Knowles.
Samuels is up again for another warm-up throw. The competition was due to start at 11.00am but there has been a significant delay due to the late finish of the first group.
No less than six competitors in her group have season's best efforts better than Samuels but in the discus that does not mean much come championships time. Throwers are known to seek wind-friendly venues to record big throws.
Warm-up throws have now been completed and Sadova will be the first to throw. She, along with defending champion Franka Dietzsch, are introduced to the crowd. Dietzch is making a record tenth appearance the world championships, a record she shares with Portugese walker Susan Feitor who competed earlier in the week.
Sadova is already through to the final, achieving the automatic qualifying mark with ease heaving the disc out to 61.94m. Dietzsch throws next just before the Aussie, but she hits the cage and fouls.
Samuels is up. And straight through to final for Samuels. 62.67m! She's only thrown further than that on three other occasions.
The national champion was shattered after missing out on a top eight finish in Beijing and has vowed for that to never happen again. Tonight she gets her chance.
Aimin Song (China) is now through as well as she bests Samuels' throw by 13 centimetres and gets out to 62.80m. Song placed fourth in the Olympics and is well known to the Australian having made a trip down under for the World Athletics Tour Melbourne in February.
The defending champ is out. Dietzsch launched her first two throws into the cage and her third is an ordinary 58.44m. The 41-year-old misses the world championships final for the first time since Paris in 2003.
Olympic champion Brown-Trafton survives the qualification but only just as she finishes in 11th after the completion of both groups.
A surprise non-qualifier is Vera Pospilova-Cechlova (Czech Republic), who defeated Samuels on home turf at Ústí Nad Labem just three weeks ago.
"It is definitely a boost doing it on my first throw," Samuels said after progressing to the final.
"I love the fact now that I can go out and just be relaxed and smash one out just 30 centimetres from my PB on my first throw. I definitely feel in PB shape.
"I was so nervous this morning; it just seemed to go forever. I woke up at 5:30am and was like, 'just go back to sleep'."
A relaxed mind has been key for Samuels and she has been enjoying her time with Australian Flame teammates.
"The team has been really relaxed and fun. I've been hanging out with Jess Rothwell, Kim Mickle and Sally McLellan and they're a bunch of laughs so it's really relaxed. Everyone just hangs out in the hallways and just chats."
To watch Dani Samuels' post-event interview click here
News
Berlin Day 5 - Morning session - LIVE
Women's Discus throw - QualificationTwenty-one-year-old Dani Samuels goes into this morning's qualifying round of the women's discus knowing she is in the best shape of her career.
Samuels threw 62.89cm at Ústí Nad Labem in the Czech Republic in late July, a distance just six centimetres below her best.
The Sydneysider is a former world youth and junior champion and is fast developing a reputation on the senior circuit.
In Belgrade five weeks ago she won her first open title at the World University Games, before going on to defeat discus legend Franke Dietsch in Zeulenroda, Germany.
The first group is already under way and already there are four throwers over the automatic qualifying mark of 61.50m. One athlete who has not made the distance is Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton (USA). Her third throw fell 27 centimetres short at 61.23m, and she will have a nervous wait for the results of the second group.
Xuejun Ma (China) leads the group with 63.38m and is currently joined by four other qualifiers, Yarelis Barrios (Cuba), Sandra Perkovic (Croatia), two-times world medallist Nicola Grasu form Romania and Germany's Nadine Muller.
As the first group is just about complete, the young Australian puts on her throwing shoes in preparation for the start in a few minutes.
The 21-year-old looks pretty relaxed out there as she prepares for a warm-up throw, looking good in the easy-to-spot Australian Flame cap and tracksuit pants.
Wait, she decides that the cap and tracksuit pants won't be needed, and now stands in line in competition gear, tossing the discus up and down.
She sends her warm-up throw out near the automatic mark before having a chat to coach Denis Knowles.
Samuels is up again for another warm-up throw. The competition was due to start at 11.00am but there has been a significant delay due to the late finish of the first group.
No less than six competitors in her group have season's best efforts better than Samuels but in the discus that does not mean much come championships time. Throwers are known to seek wind-friendly venues to record big throws.
Warm-up throws have now been completed and Sadova will be the first to throw. She, along with defending champion Franka Dietzsch, are introduced to the crowd. Dietzch is making a record tenth appearance the world championships, a record she shares with Portugese walker Susan Feitor who competed earlier in the week.
Sadova is already through to the final, achieving the automatic qualifying mark with ease heaving the disc out to 61.94m. Dietzsch throws next just before the Aussie, but she hits the cage and fouls.
Samuels is up. And straight through to final for Samuels. 62.67m! She's only thrown further than that on three other occasions.
The national champion was shattered after missing out on a top eight finish in Beijing and has vowed for that to never happen again. Tonight she gets her chance.
Aimin Song (China) is now through as well as she bests Samuels' throw by 13 centimetres and gets out to 62.80m. Song placed fourth in the Olympics and is well known to the Australian having made a trip down under for the World Athletics Tour Melbourne in February.
The defending champ is out. Dietzsch launched her first two throws into the cage and her third is an ordinary 58.44m. The 41-year-old misses the world championships final for the first time since Paris in 2003.
Olympic champion Brown-Trafton survives the qualification but only just as she finishes in 11th after the completion of both groups.
A surprise non-qualifier is Vera Pospilova-Cechlova (Czech Republic), who defeated Samuels on home turf at Ústí Nad Labem just three weeks ago.
"It is definitely a boost doing it on my first throw," Samuels said after progressing to the final.
"I love the fact now that I can go out and just be relaxed and smash one out just 30 centimetres from my PB on my first throw. I definitely feel in PB shape.
"I was so nervous this morning; it just seemed to go forever. I woke up at 5:30am and was like, 'just go back to sleep'."
A relaxed mind has been key for Samuels and she has been enjoying her time with Australian Flame teammates.
"The team has been really relaxed and fun. I've been hanging out with Jess Rothwell, Kim Mickle and Sally McLellan and they're a bunch of laughs so it's really relaxed. Everyone just hangs out in the hallways and just chats."
To watch Dani Samuels' post-event interview click here
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