Paris, France, August 10, 2024: World champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan added the Olympic title to her medal collection by winning the women’s javelin at the Paris 2024 Games at the Stade de France on Saturday night.
In so doing, she won Japan’s only athletics gold of these Games. She also becomes the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic medal in a field event.
Her opening effort - a season’s best - of 65.80m stood up as the best mark of the night. South Africa’s Jo-Ane van Dyk took silver with 63.93m, just 25 centimetres ahead of Czechia’s Nikola Ogrodnikova.
Kitaguchi, who won gold at last year’s World Championships with her final throw, this time made her intentions clear from the outset, taking an early lead with her opening effort of 65.80m.
The 26-year-old Japanese ace backed up her leading mark with a 64.73m throw with her penultimate effort to underline her command.
Kitaguchi, confirmed as champion, took to the runway for her final attempt. Her javelin sailed out to about 60 metres but she wandered through the line and celebrated her victory.
"It's an inexplicable feeling. It hasn't sunk in yet," Kitaguchi said. "I wasn't feeling pressure in particular. I've been enjoying the Olympics since coming over, but things weren't going well at the start of the season and I headed to Paris with lots of worries. I knew I was in form and wanted a record, so I gave my best till the end."