IT’S PROBABLY SAFE to say that no one, anywhere, would have predicted this result.
There were three overwhelmingly dominant contenders. Defending champion Bin Feng was out to prove that her 2022 win was no one-off, and that she truly belonged among the world’s elite.
’21 Olympic champion Valarie Allman was out to prove that her ’22 bronze in fact was a one-off, and that a world title would validate her status as the longest and most consistent thrower of the past 3 years.
Multi-medaled Sandra Perković had nothing left to prove, but at 33 remains a constant presence at or near the top of every competition.
And Laulauga Tausaga-Collins? The 25-year-old American who won the ’19 NCAA had three fouls at Doha ’19, an identical result at the ’21 Olympic Trials and an unremarkable 185-3 (56.47) at Oregon22.
She produced a PR 214-9 (65.46) to qualify for this meet, then made the final with a second-attempt 211-1 (64.34). Good, but…
The Big 3 qualified easily, led by Allman’s 220-3 (67.14).
On another hot, humid, mostly windless evening, Perković opened her campaign with a foul. Then Allman threw a big 224-11 (68.57). The tall, bespectacled Feng achieved a season-best 219-8 (66.97), and the battle was on.
In round 2, Perković moved to 3rd with her ’23 best, 218-5 (66.57), but that would remain her longest of the day. There was no change at the top in round 3, but Allman improved to 225-8 (68.79).
Meanwhile, after a sector foul and a 171-6 (52.28) second attempt, Tausaga-Collins consulted with her coach. In 12th and facing elimination, she abandoned all caution and rifled a PR 215-1 (65.56) to move to 5th (and to No. 9 on the all-time U.S. list).
Round 4: Allman improved again, to 227-1 (69.23). Feng, who screams before and after each throw, began a serious challenge with her 220-5 (67.18). And Tausaga-Collins put everyone on notice with a foot foul that landed in the medal neighborhood.
Round 5: Explosion! Summoning heretofore untapped resources, Tausaga-Collins dropped a 228-0 (69.49) bomb on the competition — a 13-foot improvement, moving her to No. 2 on U.S. all-time list. Feng’s 221-2 (67.41) moved her back into 3rd ahead of Jorinde van Klinken’s 220-6 (67.20).
Round 6: Feng improved again, to 223-9 (68.20), securing 3rd. Allman gave it her best, and it was a long one, but the 225-1 (68.61) kept her in her undesired runner-up position. Barely holding her emotions in check, the now-victorious Tausaga-Collins closed with the second-best throw of her life, 224-3 (68.36).
The first American woman to earn a World discus gold, the happy winner said, “I can’t believe it. I don’t know if I have a fairy godmother or something, or my ancestors had some say in it, but I was able to do something tonight that I didn’t think was possible yet.
“I was confident if I was on my A-game I could sneak through into a medal place. No one was expecting me and I just showed up. I was desperate, very scared because I couldn’t be 12th again. I just said to myself, ‘You need to let it out and if it fouls, then so be it.’ But it sailed out to that big throw. And here I am. I have a gold medal.”
Allman’s silver is also a U.S. first. “I wanted to be the champion tonight, but it’s hard when someone throws a 4-meter PR. I’m proud of Lagi. There’s no one I’d rather be sitting next to.”
WOMEN’S DISCUS RESULTS
FINAL (August 22)
1. Laulauga Tausaga-Collins (US) 228-0 (69.49) PR (2, 9 A)
(f, 171-6, 215-1 PR [9, x A], f, 228-0, 224-3) (f, 52.28, 65.56, f, 69.49, 68.36);
2. Valarie Allman (US) 227-1 (69.23)
(224-11, 219-7, 225-8, 227-1, 211-11, 225-1) (68.57, 66.94, 68.79, 69.23, 64.60, 68.61);
3. Bin Feng (Chn) 223-9 (68.20)
(219-8, 213-9, 216-3, 220-5, 221-2, 223-9,) (66.97, 65.16, 65.91, 67.18, 67.41, 68.20,);
4. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 220-6 (67.20)
(209-9, 211-4, 206-6, 211-6, 220-6, 219-8) (63.93, 64.41, 62.94, 64.47, 67.20, 66.97);
5. Sandra Perković (Cro) 218-5 (66.57)
(f, 218-5, f, 215-4, 213-6, f) (f, 66.57, f, 65.64, 65.09, f);
6. Kristin Pudenz (Ger) 216-5 (65.96)
(209-4, 209-9, 215-7, 210-4, 216-5, f) (63.81, 63.94, 65.73, 64.11, 65.96, f);
7. Shanice Craft (Ger) 214-9 (65.47)
(208-7, 201-7, 213-4, 214-9, f, 208-10) (63.59, 61.44, 65.03, 65.47, f, 63.67);
8. Liliana Cá (Por) 208-7 (63.59)
(193-1, f, 208-7, f, f, 205-0) (58.86, f, 63.59, f, f, 62.49);
9. Mélina Robert-Michon (Fra) 208-2 (63.46)
(175-0, 208-2, f) (53.34, 63.46, f);
10. Claudine Vita (Ger) 207-3 (63.19)
(197-9, 205-1, 207-3) (60.29, 62.51, 63.19);
11. Silinda Morales (Cub) 204-5 (62.31)
(204-5, 174-9, f) (62.31, 53.26, f);
12. Daisy Osakue (Ita) 200-6 (61.13)
(f, 200-6, f) (f, 61.13, f).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 12)
| * = progression of the leading throw; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Vita | 60.29* | 62.51 | 63.19¶ |
| Cá | 58.86 | f | 63.59¶ |
| Osakue | f | 61.13¶ | f |
| Perković | f | 66.57¶ | f |
| Morales | 62.31*¶ | 53.26 | f |
| Pudenz | 63.81* | 63.94 | 65.73 |
| Allman | 68.57* | 66.94 | 68.79* |
| Feng | 66.97 | 65.16 | 65.91 |
| Craft | 63.59 | 61.44 | 65.03 |
| van Klinken | 63.93 | 64.41 | 62.94 |
| Tausaga-Collins | f | 52.28 | 65.56 |
| Robert-Michon | 53.34 | 63.46¶ | f |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Tausaga-Collins | f | 69.49*¶ | |
| Cá | f | f | |
| van Klinken | 64.47 | 67.20¶ | |
| Craft | 65.47¶ | f | |
| Pudenz | 64.11 | 65.96¶ | |
| Perković | 65.64 | 65.09 | |
| Feng | 67.18 | 67.41 | |
| Allman | 69.23*¶ | 64.60 | |
| last round | |||
| Tausaga-Collins | 68.36 | ||
| Cá | 62.49 | ||
| Craft | 63.67 | ||
| Pudenz | f | ||
| Perković | f | ||
| van Klinken | 66.97 | ||
| Feng | 68.20¶ | ||
| Allman | 68.61 | ||
QUALIFYING: August 20)
(auto-qualifier 210-0/64.00)
Qualifiers: Allman 220-3 (67.14), Feng 215-6 (65.68), Perković 215-3 (65.62), Vita 211-7 (64.51), Tausaga-Collins 211-1 (64.34), Craft 208-1 (63.42), Cá 207-10 (63.34), van Klinken 207-4 (63.20), Morales 205-11 (62.76), Pudenz 205-9 (62.71), Robert-Michon 202-10 (61.82), Osakue 201-1 (61.31);
Non-Qualifiers: Vanessa Kamga (Swe) 196-11 (60.02), Ieva Zarankaitė (Lit) 196-9 (59.98), Veronica Fraley (US) 194-9 (59.36), Daria Zabawska (Pol) 194-6 (59.28), Andressa de Morais (Bra) 194-0 (59.15), Marija Tolj (Cro) 193-4 (58.92), Fang Wang (Chn) 192-10 (58.78), Taryn Gollshewsky (Aus) 192-4 (58.63), Chioma Onyekwere (Ngr) 192-2 (58.58), Izabela da Silva (Bra) 191-9 (58.45), Samantha Hall (Jam) 191-8 (58.43), Lisa Brix Pedersen (Den) 190-2 (57.96), Ashley Anumba (Ngr) 189-6 (57.77), Irina Rodrigues (Por) 187-3 (57.08), Karen Gallardo (Chl) 186-2 (56.74), Subenrat Insaeng (Tha) 184-4 (56.19), Elena Bruckner (US) 183-6 (55.94), Annesofie Hartmann Nielsen (Den) 180-1 (54.90), Salla Sipponen (Fin) 179-6 (54.72), Caisa-Marie Lindfors (Swe) 178-11 (54.54), Nora Monie (Cam) 178-10 (54.50), Dóra Kerekes (Hun) 178-6 (54.41), Yolandi Stander (SA) 175-2 (53.39), Maki Saito (Jpn) 174-6 (53.20), Pamela Amaechi (Ngr) 169-3 (51.60).