Sabrina Fortune Stuns Her Rivals With Last Ditch Golden Throw

By Owen Morgan

Sabrina Fortune dramatically claimed her first global title with the last throw of the F20 shot put competition at the World Para Athletics Championships on Thursday evening.

The Deeside AC athlete made it a hat-trick of Welsh world titles at the Dubai championships so far as she followed in the footsteps of Aled Davies and Hollie Arnold, who both struck gold earlier in the week.

Fortune produced her fantastic finale with a big personal best and championship record to snatch the title from the grasp of Ukraine’s Anastasiia Mysnyk.

The European champion opened her competition with solid efforts of 12.32m and 12.79m, before finding her form with a championship record of 13.26m to take the lead in round three.

Mysnyk then threatened to upset Fortune’s charge with a 13.31m in round five and then a 13.48m in round six but the Welsh athlete showed immense composure to throw out to a huge personal best and final championship record of 13.91m for gold.

Having finished sixth and fourth on her last two World Championship appearances with Paralympic bronze at Rio 2016 in between, Fortune was delighted to have finally claimed top spot on the world stage.

“I’m over the moon,” she said. “There are no words to describe how amazing that moment was.

“I burst into tears straight after that final throw. And because I was last, it meant nobody could take it [the gold] off me.”

 

More gold for Britain at #Dubai2019 as Sabrina Fortune takes the F20 women’s shot put with a 13.91m championship record. #WorldParaAthleticsChamps

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) November 14, 2019

Fortune admitted the quality of her last throw came as a surprise.

“I didn’t think that last throw was enough. I thought it was rubbish.

“But the fact that it was a really good throw and a personal best is incredible. It is something I have dreamed of for ages now.

“After two long, long weeks of being here, I wanted to throw long. This is the best outcome I could ask for. This is one of the days I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

“I’ll probably end up crying again when I go onto the podium. It’s a moment which will last forever.”

“I’ve done it for my family, I’ve done it for my team and I’ve done it for Great Britain. What an achievement is that?”

Earlier in the day, Jordan Howe, of the Disability Sport Wales Para Academy, earned a place in Friday’s T35 100m final.

The Cardiff athlete qualified for the final, which takes place at 14.42 UK time, as the fourth quickest overall. Going in heat two, he clocked 12.94 for second place.