On the evening of March 21 (Beijing time), in the women’s shot put final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships Nanjing 25, Canadian star and defending champion Sarah Mitton secured the gold medal with a throw of 20.48m, successfully defending her title. Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands took silver with 20.07m, while Chase Jackson from the USA won bronze with 20.06m. China’s GONG Lijiao finished fifth with 18.84m, and MA Yue placed tenth with 18.31m.

Sarah Mitton is one of Canada’s top track and field athletes and has performed impressively on the international stage in recent years. In 2023, she won silver at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a throw of 20.08m, earning Canada’s first-ever world championship medal in women’s shot put. In 2024, at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, she won gold with a 20.22m throw, setting a new Canadian indoor record. Later that May, she further improved her national record with a 20.68m throw, which was also the world’s best performance of the year.

At this competition, Mitton showcased her absolute dominance. Out of six attempts, three exceeded 20 meters. Her final throw of 20.48m secured the gold medal by a huge margin of 0.41m over second place. After the event, she expressed her excitement: “I’m very happy to win the gold here. The atmosphere was amazing, and the crowd was so passionate. They cheered for GONG Lijiao, and that energy really inspired me.”She also praised the host city, saying, “Nanjing is so clean, and everyone is very friendly. I’m looking forward to exploring this historic city.”

Chinese star GONG Lijiao achieved her best mark of 18.84m on her second attempt but was unable to improve in her remaining four throws. After the competition, she shared her disappointment: “I’m not very satisfied with my performance today. I really wanted to prove myself and throw over 20 meters again, but that desire affected my mindset, technique, and rhythm.”

China’s MA Yue threw 18.31m in her third attempt, setting a season-best, and finished in tenth place.

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