Valarie Allman wins second successive women's discus title

Valarie Allman, aged 29, from the United States, secured her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the women's discus event on Monday. She achieved a remarkable throw of 69.50 meters on her fourth attempt, which was nearly two meters ahead of her competitors.

Feng Bin of China claimed the silver medal with a throw of 67.51 meters, while Croatia's Sandra Elkasevic, a former double Olympic and world champion, also recorded a throw of 67.51 meters but had to settle for bronze due to Feng's superior second-best effort.

Having already secured the gold before her final attempt, Allman, who remains undefeated this season, entered the circle to a rousing ovation. After delivering a throw of 69.21 meters, she joyfully sprinted to her coach, Zebulon Sion, and leapt into his embrace.

"I am on cloud nine," she expressed. "I didn't allow myself to believe it until it was all over. To walk away as the champion - it feels surreal."

Allman experienced a significant foul on her initial throw, attributing it to nerves. "Understanding that this is the Olympic final and that all our years of hard work culminated in this moment was overwhelming. It took me a moment to find my rhythm, and my coach was instrumental in helping me focus and settle down."

Allman has now joined the ranks of only four women to have won two Olympic gold medals in discus. She had already signaled her dominance by leading the qualifying round with a throw that surpassed the field by nearly four meters.

Before transitioning to discus in high school, Allman was a dancer, discovering her natural talent for spinning in the throwing circle.

France's Melina Robert-Michon received some of the evening's loudest applause. The 45-year-old, who earned a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, finished in 12th place with a throw of 57.03 meters, marking her remarkable seventh Olympic appearance. This achievement ties her with Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey for the most appearances by a woman in track and field.

Robert-Michon, who served as the flag bearer for France during the opening ceremony, currently has no plans to retire and is aiming to participate in the world championships in Tokyo next year.

The event did not feature Yaime Perez, who holds the season's best throw of 73.09 meters, surpassing Allman's top performance by over a meter. Perez is ineligible to compete due to her defection from Cuba to the United States two years prior.