She had failed several times before at major championships, but in Stuttgart Hattestad did everything right. She led the qualifiers and with the first throw of the final went into a big lead with 69.18.
The Norwegian’s big rival, Natalya Shikolenko, followed up her 65.64 opener with three fouls. This allowed Forkel to claim the silver. Like Hattestad, the German therefore made amends for a miserable performance at the previous World Championships.
Natalya Shikolenko held on for the bronze one place ahead of her younger sister, Tatyana, who set a personal best in the final round.
World Record: Petra Felke-Meier (GDR) 80.00m 09.09.88 Potsdam, East Germany