Anita Marton won the bronze with her final throw of 19.87, a Hungarian national record.
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Rio de Janerio: Michelle Carter of the United States stunned defending champion Valerie Adams with her very last throw to win the gold medal in the Olympic women’s shot put final here Friday.
Carter and Raven Saunders gave the United States its first chance for a medal in women’s shot put since 1960, finishing third and fourth, respectively, in Adams’ group during qualifying.
Carter had the third longest distance (19.01 meters) of Friday morning’s qualification to advance to the finals.
On her last throw, however, Carter recorded a mark of 20.63m, breaking her own American Record by 0.39 meters.
The men’s shot put competition will begin on August 18. She made a decision to improve on her initial throw in the final with a toss of 20.42 meters in the second round.
Carter stepped into the ring for the sixth and final time, though, and launched the shot further than any American woman had before to take the lead with a heave of 20.63 metres.
Carter was 15th in Beijing at the 2008 Games, when she admitted she was “overwhelmed” by the entire Olympic experience, then was fifth in London four years ago.
The Kiwi shot putter monstered her way into the final, taking only one attempt to do so!
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Hungary’s Anita Marton was the bronze medalist.
