American won gold in Tokyo and takes victory again at the Olympic Games
Valarie Allman successfully defended her Olympic discus title after what she described as a “dog fight” with “two sharks” trying to beat her.
Allman threw 69.50m ahead of Bin Feng of China (67.51m) and Sandra Elkasevic of Croatia throwing the same distance (67.51m) on a night that also saw Mondo Duplantis break the world record in the pole vault.
“It feels like a bit of a blur right now,” said Allman, whose winning throw came in the fourth round.
“It was an incredibly difficult competition. We go against each other all the time and I think the podium reflects who the top three athletes in the world are this year and that feels good.
“It was a dog fight and it was exciting to be in such a really energetic environment. It took me a while for me to find my feet and that made me feel vulnerable, especially when you’re up against two lurking sharks.”
Valarie Allman (Getty)
Bin said: “The distance was so-so, but to win my first Olympic medal is something I’m very happy about. I expected to throw about 68 to 69m, but I had some issues about two weeks before the meet and it affected my power a little. But maybe I’m just finding excuses for myself.”
Elkasevic took her third Olympic medal in her fourth Games and said: “I am amazed because this is my third medal after the gold in Rio and London. After being fourth in Tokyo, I am back. I threw my season’s best. It was a very hard competition. I want to enjoy this moment and I can’t wait to come back at Los Angeles 2028.”
The athletes were also asked about throws events being ignored by event organisers. “With some of the new circuits have been created it’s quite disheartening,” said Allman, before Elkasevic added: “It’s track and field.”
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