Kelsey-Lee Barber’s reputation for performing best when it matters the absolute most has been further enhanced in the javelin final at the Tokyo Olympics.
Three days after being on the brink of an ignominious exit in the qualifying round, she claimed the bronze medal to add to the gold she won at the 2019 world championships.
And all this just a few short months after she was crying on the shoulder of her coach and husband Mike Barber, unsure if she would even be able to make it to the Tokyo Games, such was her lack of form and confidence.
In third place going into the concluding round and assured of a medal, Barber’s last throw of 64.56m in Friday night’s final was her biggest of the year – but not quite enough to move her any further up the leaderboard.
Liu Shiying from China took the gold with 66.34m and Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk was second with 64.61m.
“I love it, I live for these moments and I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed it over the last few years,” said Barber, who also went from fourth to first in the final round of the 2019 world titles in Doha.
I think that third throw (in qualifying) on Tuesday told me how to start tonight.
“I had some technical feedback which we able to implement and that put some extra metres on my throw.
“I was fighting for a gold medal, I wasn’t trying to stay in third.
“I gave the last throw literally all I had. I saw it land and thought ‘this is close’.
“I thought it might have been good enough for silver and there was a moment of ‘oh, I’ve just missed it’.
“But then there was the realisation that I’m walking away with a bronze medal and that lifted me straight away.”
Kathryn Mitchell was sixth and fellow Australian Mackenzie Little was eighth.
It was the first time that three Australians had finished in the top eight in any field event at Olympic level.
The only other Australian to win an Olympic javelin medal was Louise Currey who took home the gold in Atlanta in 1996.
Barber’s bronze was the second medal won by the Australian track and field team in Tokyo, coming one day after Ash Moloney finished third in the decathlon.
AAP
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