World Champs Womenâ€s Shot — Schilderâ€s Faith Rewarded

Jessica Schilder, coming off an illness, believed in spite of that and spun out her golden mojo in the sixth round. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

IF YOU LIKE late drama, the womenâ€s shot was the event for you.

New Zealandâ€s Maddi Wesche — Paris silver medalist — took the lead in the first round by equaling her PR 65-9¾ (20.06), and through round 5, no one seemed capable of challenging her. The only hope seemed to be Canadaâ€s Sarah Mitton, the indoor world champion, who was holding 2nd with four throws between 64-10 (19.76) and 65-0 (19.81).

The Netherlands†Jessica Schilder changed that in the last round. She was muddling along in 5th when she suddenly boomed out to 66-7 (20.29) to snatch the lead. Defending champion Chase Jackson then jumped ahead of Wesche as well, finally finding her form at 66-3¾ (20.21) to take silver. Wesche fouled and settled for bronze, while Mitton was left with no medal. American Jaida Ross placed 8th with 62-4½ (19.01).

“I still cannot believe it has happened,†Schilder, the bronze medalist in â€22, said. “Not because I was not prepared, but I became ill last week. I had a fever for three days. That is why my confidence was lower and I didnâ€t think it was possible anymore to get a medal here. But my coach said that nothing is impossible and I believed him 100%.

“Even after not such a good start to the final I said that Iâ€m going to try until the end. And it worked. Being in 5th position before the last round I thought, ‘No, I donâ€t want to meddle with this. I have to end the season on a high note.†I wanted a World Championships medal so badly and I had to do it. You donâ€t have a chance like this very often.â€

“I struggled a bit having qualifications and the final today,†said Jackson. “Still, I am happy to produce my best in the last round. That felt really good because I usually never manage to do that. It was one of the hardest days of my life.

“After the qualifications, I was a bit messy, so I tried to use my roller, but we had just six hours before the final and I had to keep moving. I am really happy to win silver. This is the medal Iâ€ve had to work on the hardest. I am always coming out to win. I was crying but those were tears of joy.â€

WOMENâ€S SHOT RESULTS

FINAL (September 20)

1. Jessica Schilder (Neth) 66-7 (20.29)

(59-9¾, 61-3½, 63-1½, 64-¼, 61-6¾, 66-7) (18.23, 18.68, 19.24, 19.51, 18.76, 20.29);

2. Chase Jackson (US) 66-3¾ (20.21)

(64-1¾, f, 63-9, 64-6½, f, 66-3¾) (19.55, f, 19.43, 19.67, f, 20.21);

3. Maddi Wesche (NZ) 65-9¾ (20.06) =PR (65-9¾, f, 65-3½, f, 61-11, f) (20.06, f, 19.90, f, 18.87, f);

4. Sarah Mitton (Can) 65-0 (19.81)

(64-10, 62-11¼, 65-0, 64-9¾, 64-11½, 64-4½) (19.76, 19.18, 19.81, 19.75, 19.80, 19.62);

5. Fanny Roos (Swe) 64-1¼ (19.54)

(63-5, 62-6¾, 62-3¾, 62-½, 61-9½, 64-1¼) (19.33, 19.07, 18.99, 18.91, 18.83, 19.54);

6. Yemisi Ogunleye (Ger) 63-5 (19.33)

(63-5, f, f, 61-1¼, 61-5½, 61-11¾) (19.33, f, f, 18.62, 18.73, 18.89);

7. Linru Zhang (Chn) 62-10½ (19.16)

(58-8, 62-1¾, 62-1¾, 62-10½, 62-9¼) (17.88, 18.94, 18.94, 19.16, 19.13);

8. Jaida Ross (US) 62-4½ (19.01)

(62-4½, f, 60-2, 60-3, 57-7½) (19.01, f, 18.34, 18.36, 17.56);

9. Lijiao Gong (Chn) 62-2½ (18.96)

(58-1, 62-2½, 60-8, f) (17.70, 18.96, 18.49, f);

10. Alina Kenzel (Ger) 60-5¼ (18.42)

(59-4, 60-2, 60-5¼, f) (18.08, 18.34, 18.42, f);

11. Katharina Maisch (Ger) 59-9 (18.21)

(f, 59-9, f) (f, 18.21, f);

12. Sara Lennman (Swe) 58-4 (17.78)

(58-4, f, f) (17.78, f, f).

* = progression of the leading throw; ¶ = athleteâ€s best of the day

first 3 rounds

Jackson
19.55*
f
19.43

Mitton
19.76*
19.18
19.81¶

Schilder
18.23
18.68
19.24

Ogunleye
19.33¶
f
f

Ross
19.01¶
f
18.34

Kenzel
18.08
18.34
18.42¶

Roos
19.33
19.07
18.99

Wesche
20.06*¶
f
19.90

Maisch
f
18.21¶
f

Zhang
17.88
18.94
18.94

Lennman
17.78¶
f
f

Gong
17.70
18.96¶
18.49

round 4

Kenzel
f

Zhang
19.16¶

Gong
f

Ross
18.36

Schilder
19.51

Ogunleye
18.62

Roos
18.91

Jackson
19.67

Mitton
19.75

Wesche
f

round 5

Zhang
19.13

Ross
17.56

Schilder
18.76

Ogunleye
18.73

Roos
18.83

Jackson
f

Mitton
19.80

Wesche
18.87

final round

Ogunleye
18.89

Roos
19.54¶

Schilder
20.29*¶

Jackson
20.21¶

Mitton
19.62

Wesche
f

QUALIFYING (September 20; auto-qualifier 63-0/19.20)

Qualifiers: Ogunleye 64-5¾ (19.65), Jackson 63-4¼ (19.31), Wesche 63-2¾ (19.27), Roos 63-1½ (19.24), Mitton 63-0 (19.20), Ross 62-9¼ (19.13), Gong 62-3¾ (18.99), Schilder 62-3¼ (18.98), Zhang 62-1¼ (18.93), Maisch 61-9 (18.82), Kenzel 60-10¾ (18.56), Lennman 60-3¾ (18.38);

Non-Qualifiers: Axelina Johansson (Swe) 60-¼ (18.29), Jessica Ramsey (US) 59-11¾ (18.28), Emilia Kangas (Fin) 59-3½ (18.07), Lloydricia Cameron (Jam) 58-3¾ (17.77), Eliana Bandeira (Por) 58-3 (17.75), Jessica Inchude (Por) 58-½ (17.69), Treneese Hamilton (Dom) 58-¼ (17.68) NR, Auriol Dongmo (Por) 57-6¼ (17.53), Yue Sun (Chn) 57-3½ (17.46), Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 57-3 (17.45), Dianelis Delís (Cub) & Miné De Klerk (SA) 57-¾ (17.39), Jing-Yuan Chiang (Tai) 57-0 (17.37), Maggie Ewen (US) & Senja Mäkitörmä (Fin) 56-9½ (17.31), Eveliina Rouvali (Fin) 56-1¼ (17.10), Ivana Gallardo (Chl) 55-9 (16.99), Ashley Erasmus (SA) 55-5½ (16.90), Erna Sóley Gunnarsdóttir (Ice) 55-4¼ (16.87), Colette Uys (SA) 54-8¾ (16.68), Miryam Mazenauer (Swi) 53-10¼ (16.41), Ana da Silva (Bra) 53-9¾ (16.40), Kelsie Murrel-Ross (Grn) 53-1½ (16.19).

Since 1986, Lee Nichols has been the Rockdale (Texas) High School record holder in the mile and 2-miles. He followed those feats with a brief and highly undistinguished tenure with the Texas Longhorns. He has been writing for Track & Field News since 2004. When he’s not writing about track, he’s either writing about or drinking craft beer and watching Tottenham Hotspur play soccer.

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