Athletics-Dutchwoman Schilder takes world shot gold with final throw

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By Mitch Phillips

TOKYO (Reuters) -Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands produced a last-throw stunner to win the women’s world shot put gold on Saturday, denying American Chase Jackson a third successive title at the death.

Schilder, the 2022 bronze medallist, was down in fifth with a best of 19.51 metres but found 20.29 with her final attempt.

Jackson was also below her best but responded with her own big last effort, falling just short with 20.21 but enough for silver..

Maddison-Lee Wesche of New Zealand took bronze with her personal best first-round throw of 20.06, which for most of the night looked to be enough to earn gold.

“It’s amazing. I can’t even describe the feeling,” Schilder said. “You know you’ve got it in you … I’m really happy with myself.”

Jackson said: “I was just kind of fighting for my life out there. But after I saw Jessica throw it, I guess it gave me a little bit of motivation. I said, ‘It’s your last throw’.

“I’m happy to produce my best in the last round. That felt really good because I usually never manage to do that.

“I’m happy with the silver. This is the medal I’ve had to work on the hardest. Certain medals just mean a lot, and this one means a lot. That’s how hard it was for me to grab it.”

Wesche added: “I’m still a little bit speechless, sitting in first place for most of the competition was a little bit foreign to me.

“To throw 20 metres on my first throw and then over 22 metres on my last (a foul) shows that all the training my coach, my team and I have been doing is paying off.

“I’ve got bigger goals and bigger distances to come, those are my aspirations in this sport. This was the craziest competition I’ve ever been part of and those are the moments you live for as an athlete.”

(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, additional reporting by Chang-Ran Kim, editing by Ken Ferris)