The 25-year-old took third place with a British-record throw of 74.54m on her final attempt, and the former World Junior Champion has said that she is “over the moon” with the success.
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She is the first British man or woman to win an Olympic hammer medal since 1924.
She went out to 71.73m in the third round to earn an extra three throws.
Hitchon’s second-round throw of 73.29 meters saw her placed in sixth place going into her final throw, but she was able to add 70 centimetres to her own national record and claim her historic medal.
Hitchon’s longest throw added 70cm on to her previous British record before she did a lap of honour at the Olympic Stadium to celebrate her achievement.
Hitchon’s bronze is Team GB’s fourth medal won in track and field in Rio after the gold, silver and bronze won by Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford on Saturday. To see the No 3 there and the national record, I couldn’t be happier.
“Training has been going really really well”.
Hitchon finished third behind Zhang Wenxiu (76.75 metres) of China and Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, who produced a world record throw of 82.29 metres to win the gold medal.
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It is perhaps the least glamorous event on the athletics programme and it is not even contested on the Diamond League circuit.
