Athletics: Wesche breaks 20m, Joynt sets lifetime best at 200m
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New Zealand shot putter Maddi Wesche has thrown a lifetime best at the 2025 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA, surpassing the 20 metre mark for the first time.
The 2024 Olympic shot put silver medalist sent the shot past her personal best of 19.86 she set in 2024 to 20.06m.
Wesche joined Valerie Adams as the only two New Zealand women to have ever thrown over the 20m mark.
Wesche started out with a hint of things to come, a strong 19.23m performance in round one to open the competition.
The 26-year-old's best came in round three with her 20.06m throw, seeing her finish the competition in fourth place.
Wesche finished behind some formidable names in women's shot put, including Chase Jackson of the USA who won with a 20.94m throw. Jackson's throw was just 1cm short of her lifetime best and also a meeting and facility record. It was one of the strongest shot put competitions in recent memory, which saw the top five women throw over 20m.
Anna Grimaldi had a tussle with USA's Brittni Mason for the second and third spots in the mixed classification para 100m. Mason finished in silver at the 2024 Paralympic 100m T47 ahead of Grimaldi in bronze. The duo repeated the placing order with Mason getting to the line just in front of Grimaldi.
Grimaldi clocking a 12.41s 100m time, with Mason running 12.40. Orla Comerford (T13) of Ireland won the race in 12.14s.
Mitchell Joynt set a lifetime best in the 200m T62/64 of 22.86, his first time clocking under the 23 second mark. His time obliterated his previous best of 23.15.
Joynt, who received a last minute call up for the race, was deep in a preparation block for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in September, and was looking to simply see how his training had been going and to run in his first diamond league.
Sam Tanner and Sam Ruthe lined up in the international mile.
Tanner finished in 6th with 3:52.63 and 16-year-old Ruthe got caught up in an early fall with Sam Prakel and ended up off the back of the field early on, rallying to finish strong in 4:00.65.
Tom Walsh had a tough day in the shot circle, finishing in 8th with a 5th round best of 21.50. While his mark was only 30cm off his season's best, the quality of the field was exceptional. Five athletes were over 22m including 22.48 by USA's Joe Kovacs to take the title.
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