Kitaguchi lands second global javelin title with Olympic gold in Paris

World champion Haruka Kitaguchi added the Olympic title to her medal collection by winning the women’s javelin at the Paris 2024 Games on Saturday (10).

In so doing, she won Japan’s only athletics gold of these Games. She also becomes the first Japanese woman to win an Olympic medal in a field event.

Her opening effort of 65.80m stood up as the best mark of the night. South Africa’s Jo-Ane van Dyk took silver with 63.93m, just 25 centimetres ahead of Czechia’s Nikola Ogrodnikova.

Kitaguchi, who memorably won gold at last year’s World Championships with her final throw, this time made her intentions clear from the outset, taking an early lead with her opening effort of 65.80m.

By the end of the first round, she had a lead of more than three metres as Spain’s Yulenmis Aguilar sat in second place with 62.78m, just ahead of Australia’s Kathryn Mitchell (62.63m).

World silver medallist Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado moved into second place with her second-round throw of 63.00m. The Colombian was passed in round three by three women: Van Dyk (63.93m), Ogrodnikova (63.68m) and Croatia’s 2016 Olympic champion Sara Kolak (63.40m).

Greece’s 2022 European champion Elina Tzengko and world bronze medallist Mackenzie Little of Australia did not make it past the half-way stage, managing best throws of 61.85m and 60.32m respectively.

There were no improvements in the fourth or fifth rounds, though Kitaguchi backed up her leading mark with a 64.73m throw with her penultimate effort.

In the final round, Kolak produced another strong throw, but her 63.04m was no improvement, keeping the Croatian in fourth. Ogrodnikova and Van Dyk were next up, but once again neither woman improved and so they finished third and second respectively.

Kitaguchi, confirmed as champion, took to the runway for her final attempt. Her javelin sailed out to about 60 metres but she wandered through the line and celebrated her victory.

"I cannot believe this, this wasn’t easy for me," said Kitaguchi. "I couldn’t train well in the lead-up to the Games, but my physio and my team believed in me. Without their help, I wouldn't have won gold today."

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics

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