Olympic javelin gold medalist Haruka Kitaguchi capped her glorious 2024 season with a victory in the Diamond League Final on Saturday night, September 14 in Brussels.
On her final throw of the night, Kitaguchi's javelin soared a season-best 66.13 meters at King Baudouin Stadium.
Serbia's Adriana Vilagos finished second (65.23 meters) and Maggie Malone-Hardin of the United States placed third (62.40).
Kitaguchi, who captured the gold at the Paris Olympics with a final throw of 65.80 meters on August 10, had a mark of 65.08 on her second attempt on Saturday night.
Vilagos, the fourth of six athletes in order of competition, took the lead on her sixth and final attempt.
But Kitaguchi wasn't fazed. She wrapped up the women's javelin event at the Diamond League Finals with the aforementioned 66.13-meter throw. It was her second-best mark ever.
"I didn't feel that good today, because it has been a long season," Kitaguchi said, according to flash quotes distributed by World Athletics after the competition.
"After the Olympics, I've been really tired and I didn't train that much. The preparation for this Diamond League Final was not the best, but I'm satisfied with the result. Especially that I've been able to take the win in my last throw."
What was going through Kitaguchi's mind before her final throw?
"I'm always someone who turns up on the sixth throw," she was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "So I thought, 'Bring it on.' "
A Spectacular Season for Haruka Kitaguchi
Kitaguchi participated in nine athletics meets in 2024. She collected seven victories in javelin competitions, including three in Diamond League meets. (The Diamond League Final is also known as the Memorial Van Damme meet. It was established in 1977.)
The Olympic triumph was, of course, the pinnacle of the season for the reigning world champion.
Along with her rising fame in the past couple of years, Kitaguchi is a vocal champion of the javelin throw, aiming to increase the event's popularity in Japan.
For example, after making the post-victory comments seen above, Kitaguchi said, "Javelin is not really popular in Japan, but maybe my performances can inspire the young athletes."
In her dramatic performance on Saturday, Kitaguchi had a mark of 61.28 on her first throw.
It was a startling moment for her in the Belgian capital.
"I was surprised I could throw that well," Kitaguchi said, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun.
On her third attempt, she threw her javelin 61.72 meters, followed by a mark of 59.88 on her fourth attempt.
The Hokkaido Prefecture native's second attempt produced a satisfying feeling for her. After all, she displayed fluid motion and stellar mechanics on the 65.08-meter throw.
"I didn't feel like I threw with force," the 26-year-old added, according to The Yomiuri Shimbun. "For the first time in a long time, I was able to throw in my own way and not rely on my strength."
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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