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Annu Rani ends seventh as Barber retains title
Annu, who rewrote her own national record for the eighth time en route a season's best throw of 63.82m in May, started the final with a 56.18m effort, before logging 61.12m.
Annu Rani marked her second consecutive World Championships final appearance with a seventh-place finish in Eugene on Friday. The 29-year-old registered a best effort of 61.12 metres—her only 60m plus throw of the competition—to improve on her 2019 Worlds result by one spot.
Defending champion Kelsey-Lee Barber retained her crown with a throw of 66.91m, her season's best effort, sailing above and beyond a world-class field. It was also the world-leading throw, leaving behind American Maggie Malone's 65.73m from last month.
The final witnessed late drama with Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi and USA's Kara Winger causing a major shake-up in the standings. Kitaguchi, vying to become the first Japanese woman to medal at the World Championships, threw 63.27m to become a medal contender. Next, Winger went from fifth to second on her last throw (64.05m) as the ecstatic duo pushed the reigning Olympic champion Shiying Liu and Australia's Mackenzie Little outside the top three.
Annu, who rewrote her own national record for the eighth time en route a season's best throw of 63.82m in May, started the final with a 56.18m effort, before logging 61.12m. Her next four throws read 59.27, 58.14, 59.98, and 58.70. It was a disappointing campaign from Annu, who had entered the competition in fine form.
"After her second throw, I thought she had a real chance. I felt she will at least touch her personal best," said coach Kashinath Naik, who groomed Rani from 2014-18.
Naik had reasons to believe. Rani had, after all, crossed 60 metres in each event this year, including the Qosanov Memorial in Almaty and a training meet in Chula Vista in the United States. A personal best in Eugene would have won her a bronze. "This was her third World Championships and second final. She is also an Olympian. You'd expect such experienced athletes to at least touch their personal bests in big events," said Naik, who believes his erstwhile ward needs to get mentally tougher besides ironing out chinks in her technique.
"She takes a lot of pressure. She is a serial record breaker at the national level, so she thinks she has to win a medal each time she competes. Her body language was quite relaxed and aggressive, but a lot must be going on in her head. Then, there's a technical issue in her throw. Her throwing arm falls a bit too much which disturbs her angle of release. That also curtails the throw," Naik, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, explained.
The temperature in Eugene on Friday evening was a pleasant 25 degrees with low humidity (50 percent). Annu, used to competing in hot Indian weather, had alluded to her body taking longer to respond after qualifying. "Such reasons are not acceptable. Your warm-up routine must be tailored to temperature and conditions. The fact is, we have lost a golden opportunity to win a medal. A big medal would have broken the mental barrier," Naik rued.
