competition billing to produce a masterful shot put demonstration and secure Chile’s first ever gold medal at a World Junior Championships.
The South American claimed a comfortable win by 0.63 and was the only woman beyond the 17m mark, which she achieved on three occasions.
Chile’s only previous medal came at the first edition of the championships in 1986 when Manuel Balmaceda took silver in the men’s 800m.
Duco has made steady progress over the past four years, finishing fourth at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Morocco as a 16-year-old and the following year placed 12th in her first appearance at the World Junior Championships in Beijing.
The Chilean powerhouse made a massive breakthrough with an Area Junior record of 18.65m in Iquique in June to climb to No.2 in the world juniors lists.
After dominating qualification she took command of the competition with her first round and ultimately best put of 17.23m.
Defending World Junior champion Melissa Boekelman of Holland moved into the silver medal position after a 16.43m second round effort although China’s Qiao Ma regained that position in the third round with a season’s best 16.55m.
In reality, though, the rest of the field were all picking up the scraps of the minor medals. Hryshko matched the Chinese athlete with 16.55m in round four before Boekelman reclaimed the silver medal position with 16.60m in the fifth round.
The sixth round proved an anti-climax with no further improvements. Qiao Ma snared the bronze medal only by virtue of having a superior third throw to Hryshko.
The duo’s first and second best throws were identical, but, in truth, it was all about Duco and that first Chilean gold.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
