Asia won its first ever world outdoor athletics title when 26 year-old Huang Zhihong easily beat the defending champion Lisovskaya. The Soviet took the lead with her first put of 20.15, but she was immediately overtaken when the next woman – Huang – put 20.64. The Chinese woman went even further in the second round (20.83) to solidify her grip on Tokyo’s first field event gold.
Lisovskaya was pushed back to third when Krivelyova produced 20.16 in the third, but the 1987 winner clinched the silver with 20.29 in the fifth.
“When I won I felt so elated I couldn’t think of anything else,” said the exuberant winner. “The Japanese people in the crowd really supported me and gave me strength.”