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- Sabrina Fortune Keeps A ‘Straight Face’ To Smash World Record Twice To Land Shot Gold
By Ian Gordon
Sabrina Fortune broke the women’s F20 shot put world record twice as she powered to a third successive gold medal at the World Para Champs in Kobe.
The Deeside thrower set a record with a best of 14.56m before hitting a staggering 14.73m with her final throw knowing the gold medal was already secure in Japan.
“It was an amazing experience, something that I couldn’t have ever dreamed of…getting a world record,” said Fortune, who added more Welsh success after Hollie Arnold’s gold in the javelin on Friday.
“I’ve thrown two world records in a day which is incredible. I’ve been throwing so many good throws in the last two weeks, so I wasn’t expecting any less. To hit 14m on my first throw was absolutely crazy.
“I just had to tell myself [after the 14.56m WR] not to celebrate too early because that’s a PB in itself, but I knew if I overdid it, I wouldn’t throw any further.
“I had to keep a straight face, I kept going to grin, but I knew I had to hold it together right through the competition.
“I was over the moon with 14.73m. It’s hard to put into words how it felt to throw even further. I just wanted to run round and round in circles.”
The Ryan Spencer Jones coached athlete produced the remarkable series of throws she has been promising since her fine start to the season back in April.
Fortune opened with a very strong throw of 14.18m to put her into an early lead, and with her confidence sky-high, she extended the lead with the 14.56m, 17cm further than the previous record held by Ecuador’s Poleth Isamar Mendes Sanchez who would finish in second overall with a best of 13.90m.
A 13.64m and 14.23m added to her scorecard before a foul in round five, but on her final throw, when she already knew she had earned the win, she held her composure and threw further than she had ever done before with a mighty 14.73m effort to spark scenes of wild celebration.
It was the British team’s third gold of the championships following Arnold [F46 Javelin] and Jonathan Broom-Edwards [T64 High Jump].
