Women Shot Put Athletics I World Championship Helsinki, Finlland 1983 - Friday, 12th August - Gold Medal: Helena Fibingerova, Czechoslovakia

Women Shot Put Athletics I World Championship Helsinki, Finlland 1983 - Friday, 12th August - Gold Medal: Helena Fibingerova, Czechoslovakia

Final		Distance	1.T	2.T	3.T	4.T	5.T	6.T
1. Helena Fibingerova	TCH	21.05m	19.89	19.69	19.72	19.94	20.30	21.05
2. Helma Knorscheidt	GDR	20.70m	20.30	20.70	20.55	20.47	X	20.25
3. Ilona Slupianek-Briesenick	GDR	20.56m	20.56	20.32	19.97	19.52	X	X
4. Nunu Abashidze	URS	20.55m	18.68	19.16	19.11	20.55	19.77	X
5. Natalya Lisovskaya	URS	20.02m	19.53	X	20.02	20.01	19.63	19.45
6. Mihaela Loghin	ROU	19.85m	19.85	19.82	19.77	19.34	19.72	19.08
7. Claudia Losch	FRG	19.72m	19.72	18.97	X	19.54	18.96	18.21
8. Maria Elena Sarria	CUB	19.47m	18.45	19.44	19.32	19.47	X	18.87
9. Zdenka Silhava	TCH	19.00m	18.24	17.94	19.00
10.Venissa Head	GBR	18.05m	18.05	17.60	17.48
11.Gael Mulhall-Martin	AUS	17.79m	17.43	17.49	17.79
12.Judy Oakes	GBR	17.52m	17.01	17.19	17.52

Women Shot Put History

A most heartwarming moment occurred in the final round when 34 year-old Fibingerová scored an unexpected victory over the highly favoured GDR putters. On paper, Slupianek was expected to add the first world title to her Olympic title and world record. In the event, she was struggling with a tendon injury and could not better her opening throw in the final (20.56). Instead her team-mate Knorscheidt went in front with 20.70 in the second round. Soviet throwers held third and fourth places until the last throw of the fifth round, when Fibingerová moved to fourth place with 20.30.
In the wet conditions, nobody could improve in the final round before Fibingerová entered the circle for the last throw of the contest. The Czech putter had a reputation for performing well in the rain and her last effort landed clearly beyond the yellow 21m line. Knowing she had won, she threw her arms in the air and raced out of the circle. Every official in range was then hugged by the emotional winner.
“A month ago, my father died,” revealed Fibingerová after the medal ceremony. “I was very sad and still am. My mother is too. On my last attempt, I thought of my father and my mother. I picked up the yellow shot and said ‘This is the shot of gold!’ And so it was.”

Qualification - Wednesday 10.08

Mark 17.00m 12 Atheltes

Group A		Dist.	Rk.	1.	2.	3.
1. Helena Fibingerova	TCH	19.25m	3.	19.25
2. Maria Elena Sarria	CUB	19.24m	4.	19.24
3. Nunu Abashidze	URS	19.10m	5.	19.10
4. Helma Knorscheidt	GDR	19.09m	6.	19.09
5. Venissa Head	GBR	18.41m	9.	18.41
6. Gael Mulhall-Martin	AUS	17.79m	11.	16.98	17.79
7. Lijuan Shen	CHN	16.99m	13.	16.99	16.57	16.95
8. Lorna Griffin	USA	16.50m	15.	15.21	15.86	16.50
9. Maryline Adam	VAN	11.32m	19.	10.37	10.80	11.32
10.Magdalene Springer	MNT	9.78m	20.	X	X	9.78

Group B		Dist.	Rk.	1.	2.	3.
1. Ilona Slupianek-Briesenick	GDR	19.99m	1.	19.99
2. Natalya Lisovskaya	URS	19.68m	2.	19.68
3. Mihaela Loghin	ROU	18.97m	7.	18.97
4. Zdenka Silhava	TCH	18.57m	8.	18.57
5. Claudia Losch	FRG	18.24m	10.	18.24
6. Judy Oakes	GBR	17.61m	12.	17.61
7. Meisu Li	CHN	16.91m	14.	16.71	16.91	X
8. Meg Ritchie	GBR	16.14m	16.	16.02	16.14	X
9. Rosemarie Hauch	CAN	15.37m	17.	15.37	15.32	15.03
10.Odette Mistoul	GAB	14.23m	18.	13.24	14.23	13.64