Maddison-Lee Wesche. Photo / Getty Images
Maddison-Lee Wesche claimed the silver medal in a thrilling women’s shot put final at the Paris 2024 Olympics this morning.
Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany emerged as the ultimate champion, but not before a nail-biting battle with Wesche for the top spot.
For most of the final, Wesche held the lead. However, Ogunleye had a remarkable final-round throw, stealing the lead from the Kiwi athlete.
The crowd was electrified as Ogunleye hyped them up before unleashing a 20.00m throw. With one final opportunity to reclaim the lead and snatch the gold medal, Wesche gave it her all. Unfortunately, her last effort fell short at 19.68m.
Nonetheless, Wesche’s earlier throw of 19.86m, which also happened to be her personal best, secured her the silver medal.
Reflecting on her emotions after the event, Wesche told the Herald, “I am on cloud nine right now. I would have liked the gold, everyone wants a gold medal but a silver medallist is pretty good.”
When asked about her mindset during the competition, she shared, “I was just trying to keep with my same mentality, keep calm, keep happy, trust the pattern that I’ve been working on and training and just let the work do for itself.”
Wesche also highlighted the competitive nature of women’s shot put and despite the intense competition, she remains grounded.
“I don’t put any expectations or pressure on myself. You know, these may be the Olympics but it’s still a competition at the end of the day. So I just keep my same mentality. Keep it happy. Keep laughing.
“Women’s shot put is so competitive at the moment and there are so many women on the castle breaking 21 metres and 22 metres. So to be a part of that group of women that not only are competitive but are lovely people I like being around, I think it’s a good history to be a part of.”
A Kiwi woman has now stood on the podium in the shot put event at the last five Olympic Games. Valerie Adams claimed gold in Beijing and London, silver in Rio, and bronze in Tokyo. Wesche’s silver medal at Paris 2024 continues this streak.
After the event, Wesche ran to see her family.
“I had my sisters right up in the front row and then my mum and my other sisters and the rest of family came down for a hug as well. There’s other family amongst the stadium, but I haven’t seen them yet.
“They were just super proud. Mum was crying and my sister was speechless and they were just so happy. I think my coach is even speechless.”
Hear it as it happens with live commentary of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on GOLD SPORT & iHeartRadio, plus comprehensive coverage on Newstalk ZB.
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