ATHLETICS: Dani Samuels has achieved her best ever performance in an Olympics, finishing fourth at the Rio Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.
The triple Olympian, who finished ninth at the 2008 Beijing Games and 12th at the London 2012 Games, saved her best for last, recording a top throw of 64.90m on her sixth attempt.
Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic won gold with a throw of 69.21m.
Melina Robert-Michon of France won silver with 66.73m while Denia Caballero of Cuba won bronze with 65.34m.
The performance left Samuels, the 2009 world champion and 17-time national champion, even more motivated for a fourth Olympics campaign in Tokyo in 2020.
“I’m finding words a little hard to process right now,” Samuels said.
“I’ve come ninth in an Olympics and just missed a final and come fourth and just missed a medal.
“I’ll be back for Tokyo as it’s the only medal I don’t have.”
Later tonight Australia’s Brandon Starc will contest the men’s high jump final from 8.30pm (9.30am Wednesday August 17 AEST).
Also later, Lauren Wells will run in the semi-finals of the women’s 400m hurdles (Heat 3), Ella Nelson is in the semi-finals of the women’s 200m (Heat 2), Chelsea Jaensch and Brooke Stratton will compete in the women’s long jump qualifying and Kim Mickle, Kelsey-Lee Roberts and Kathryn Mitchell will contest the qualifying rounds in the women’s javelin.
David Taylor
olympics.com.au
