China’s Gong retains shot put title

DOHA: China’s Gong Lijiao retained her world shot put title but got a fright when Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd nearly pipped her to gold with her last attempt on Thursday.

Gong, who has won 13 of her 14 competitions this season, led from the first round with a throw of 19.07 metres, bettered that with 19.42 on her second and then managed 19.55 with her fourth.

She had an anxious moment, however, when Thomas-Dodd threw a personal best of 19.47 metres, missing out by eight centimetres.

Germany’s Christine Schwanitz, who has taken time away from competing and had a child since she won the world title in 2015, claimed the bronze with 19.17.

OS	BIB	ATHLETE	COUNTRY	MARK	DETAIL	ATTEMPT 1	ATTEMPT 2	ATTEMPT 3	ATTEMPT 4	ATTEMPT 5	ATTEMPT 6
1	488	Lijiao GONG	CHN	19.55		19.07	19.42	19.21	19.55	X	X
2	1201	Danniel THOMAS-DODD	JAM	19.47		18.97	19.02	19.36	19.05	X	19.47
3	964	Christina SCHWANITZ	GER	19.17		18.61	18.87	18.68	18.67	19.17	18.44
4	1965	Maggie EWEN	USA	18.93		18.04	18.48	18.79	18.91	18.93	X
5	1030	Anita MÁRTON	HUN	18.86		18.75	18.41	18.37	18.28	18.18	18.86
6	287	Aliona DUBITSKAYA	BLR	18.86		18.66	18.48	18.86	18.36	18.58	18.55
7	1963	Chase EALEY	USA	18.82		18.70	18.25	X	X	18.82	18.61
8	428	Brittany CREW	CAN	18.55		18.46	18.18	X	18.55	18.40	17.46
9	1958	Michelle CARTER	USA	18.41		18.32	18.31	18.41
10	1548	Paulina GUBA	POL	18.02		18.02	17.97	X
11	882	Sophie MCKINNA	GBR	17.99		17.99	17.85	17.68
12	1391	Dimitriana SURDU	MDA	17.64		17.64	17.45	X