Tokyo previews – Women’s Shot Put

China versus the USA? World Champs versus the next big thing? An intriguing battle will take place for Olympic honours, here’s our women’s Shot Put preview.

Schedule

Friday 30 July 11:25 UK Time (Qualification) Sunday 1 August 02:35 UK Time (Final)

2021 Furthest Throws

2021 RankingsDistance (m)Athlete Country
120.39Lijiao GongChina
220.12Jessica RamseyUSA
319.96Raven SaundersUSA
419.75Auriol DongmoPortugal
419.75Valerie AdamasNew Zealnd
619.65Aliona DubitskayaBelarus
719.45Felisha JohnsonUSA
719.45Chase EaleyUSA
919.34Fanny RoosSweden
1019.32Jiayuan SongChina 
1019.32Maggie EwenUSA

British interest

Sophie McKinna will need to throw out of her skin to make the final but she comes to Tokyo with a good degree of championship experience having finished 5th at the two most recent Commonwealth Games.

The favourites

Lijap Gong has to start favourite, having won world gold in both Doha and London. She will be hoping to banish the disappointment of a fourth place in Rio which came after consercutive medals at Bejiing (bronze) and London (silver). She has thrown within four centimetres of her lifetime best this year.

She will be challenged by a host of contenders, lead by Jessica Ramsey and Raven Saunders of the USA. For both 2021 has been a breakthrough season. Aliona Dubitskaya of Belarus has thrown towards 20 metres as well.

Valerie Adams maybe 36 but she is a two time Olympic Champion (Bejiing, London) and four time World Champ. Whilst not able to throw the 21 metres plus she could in 2011 if anyone slips up the New Zealander could find herself on the podium. She comes to Tokyo on the back of a win in Stockholm.

Finally Auriol Dongmo of Portugal is the European Indoor Champ and will hope to build on that and some competitive showings in the Diamond League (1st in Gateshead, 2nd Stockholm).

Our medal predictions

  1. Lijao Gong
  2. Valerie Adams
  3. Auriol Dongmo

Records

WR: 22.63m Natalya Lisovskaya (1987)

OR: 22.41m Ilona Slipianek (1980 Moscow)

Featured image “Valerie Adams (New Zealand)” by Sum_of_Marc is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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