Liz Gleadle resets national javelin record with win in Japan
London 2012 Olympic javelin thrower Liz Gleadle took first place at an IAAF World Challenge Grand Prix this weekend in Kawasaki, Japan.
Gleadle’s throw of 64.83m broke her own national record by 33 centimetres and it was better than the women’s field that included second place finisher Brittany Borman (64.75) and Madara Palameika of Latvia (64.07).
The winning toss from Gleadle is the fifth best distance achieved by a female javelin thrower this season, with Sunette Viljoen of South Africa leading the way with 66.62. Gleadle said she was “expecting a personal best this season” but to achieve it this early surprised her.
Sultana Frizell with one of her record setting throws at Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Another Canadian Olympian, Sultana Frizell, found top three in Kawasaki finishing third in women’s hammer throw with 73.66m. Frizell – the national record holder – landed behind Slovakia’s Martina Hrasnova (74.27) and Zhen Wang of China (73.66). All three distances register as top three in women’s hammer throw thus far in 2015.
Along with other throwers, Athletics Canada race walkers, sprinters, distance runners and jumpers are fanned out in competition around the world. Some of the other highlights will be posted on Olympic.ca’s weekend recap on Monday.
