Jump helps Dobrynska

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-17 10:51

Ukraine's Nataliia Dobrynska competes during the javelin event of the heptathlon yesterday. She won the gold. AFP

Nataliia Dobrynska of Ukraine won the heptathlon gold yesterday, recording a total of 6,733 points after the gruelling seven-discipline event.

Her compatriot Lyudmila Blonska took silver, 33pts adrift, with overnight leader Hyleas Fountain claiming bronze at 6,619pts.

Pre-event favorite Kelly Sotherton of Britain finished fifth on 6,517pts, with Russian Tatiana Chernova in fourth.

Dobrynska's victory was based on two top performances in the shot put, in which she threw 17.29m, and the long jump, in which she jumped 6.63m.

A poor 24.39sec in the 200m was offset by a solid 13.44 in the 100m hurdles, a 10th-best 1.80m in the high jump and an impressive 48.50m in the javelin.

She finished last in her 800m race, but fast enough to edge Blonska.

Valerie Vili from New Zealand was crowned the women's shot put champion yesterday, earning the second gold for her country.

The 23-year-old defeated the other 14 opponents with a throw of 20.56m in her first attempt.

It was a personal-best throw for the Kiwi, who was a bronze medalist at the 2005 world championships.

Natallia Mikhnevich from Belarus grabbed the silver with 20.28 in her second attempt, although she did not manage to improve on her personal best of 20.70.

Her compatriot Nadzeya Ostapchuk won the bronze medal on her fifth attempt, throwing 19.86 to pip Cuba's Misleydis Gonzalez.

Agencies

(China Daily 08/17/2008 page10)