Athletics: Faumuina lapped up the atmosphere

By DAVID LEGGAT

ATHENS - The women's discus does not rate high among the stellar events at an athletics meet.

It's tucked away in a corner of the ground, the spectators behind the cage the only ones taking much notice.

And that's why Beatrice Faumuina reckons yesterday's Olympic Games competition was up with the best she's been involved in.

The former world champion finished seventh in the final played out before a full house at the Olympic Stadium.

Her best effort, 63.45m, came on the fourth of her six throws.

The winner, Natalya Sadova of Russia, won with a 67.02m heave, 0.34m ahead of one of three Greeks in the 12-strong field which began the competition.

And that's what made the night special for Faumuina. Each time a Greek thrower entered the cage the stadium reverberated with the roar of the crowd.

The only one who made a real impression was Anastasia Kelesidou, who took the silver.

Indeed the competition was poised for a barnstorming finish. Kelesidou had the final throw of the event. She had taken the lead with a 66.68m on her third throw.

If she had won the gold with the last throw the din would have been heard around the city.

She couldn't, throwing 61.59m.

"That rocks," Faumuina said of the night laden with more atmosphere than she had ever experienced.

"This is fantastic. It's very rare that all the focus is on the event I happen to be in. To have what we had tonight, you never get that anywhere in the world."

And that, combined with the honour of being New Zealand's opening-ceremony flagbearer, has made this the most memorable of the Aucklander's three Olympics.

As for her performance, in the city where she won her world title in 1997, she had mixed feelings of a night which included an opening throw pulled wide to the left and two other no throws.

"Disappointed with the throws, but seventh in the world, which matches my world ranking so I'm happy with that."

Faumuina was happy she got over a bad opening throw, and insisted she was not worried over whether she would make the top-eight final.

Even so, it must have been a twitchy time. After her third throw, she lay sixth. She had to wait to make sure the following throwers did not bump her out of the top eight. They didn't.

"I knew three of the girls after me had thrown further than me this year. Any of them could have done it."

Faumuina, 29, will now prepare for next year's world championships, then the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, when she will be aiming for a third straight gold medal.