The impressive Sandra has given us a taste of what we can expect from this season in her opening Diamond League performance.
Sandra Perković, the world’s best female discus thrower, opened the Diamond League's new season with a win in Doha. Perković threw a record in this competition with 71.38 meters, which is only three centimeters short of her personal and absolute Croatian record, reports Gol.hr on May 5, 2018.
Croatia’s best female athlete has shown her rivals that this season she is ready to dominate, and exploded in the third series when her discus flew to new lengths for a Diamond League record. Perković held her old record of 70.88 meters, which she achieved in Shanghai in 2016.
The Croatian discus thrower achieved 66.78 meters in the first series, which was challenged in the second series when Cuba’s Yaime Perez threw 66.82 meters. But in the next attempt, Perković returned to the top after throwing 67.41 meters, leaving her best for the end of the competition.
"I was so close to a personal record. I really believe that Doha is a happy place for me, as it was in 2015. The atmosphere is amazing, and the conditions are ideal for the start of the season," said Sandra, who is going for her seventh consecutive triumph in the Diamond League. The main goal of this season, however, is the European Championship in Berlin in August, where Sandra will hunt for her fifth consecutive gold.
"This is an ideal start and preparation for the European Championship. Doha has prepared me to stay on track,” concluded Perković, whose team at the winning podium were two Cuban discus throwers, Yaime Perez (66.82) and Denia Caballero (63.80).
Diamond League discus throwers:
1. SANDRA PERKOVIĆ (CRO) 71.38 metara
2. Yaime Perez (CUBA) 66.82
3. Denia Caballero (CUBA) 63.80
4. Andressa de Morais (BRAZIL) 63.77
5. Dani Stevens (AUSTRALIA) 63.59
6. Gia Lewis-Smallwood (USA) 58.73
7. Whitney Ashley (USA) 58.42
