Price places eighth in Olympic Hammer Throw Final

Monday, August 15

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

8:40 a.m.

Southern Illinois University

2016 Olympics (Women's Hammer Throw Finals)

08/15/2016 | 10:29:00 | Track and Field

Recent SIU graduate throws 70.95m in her first Olympic final Monday.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

DeAnna Price's first appearance on the world's biggest stage did not disappoint.

When you finish 8th IN THE WORLD, you flex.

Congrats @DeannaPrice32 on a great season! pic.twitter.com/qqdU0ro00V
— Saluki Track (@SIU_TrackXC) August 15, 2016

The 2016 SIU graduate threw 70.95m (232'-9") on her third attempt to finish eighth. Her U.S. teammate Amber Campbell finished sixth with a mark of 72.74m (238'-7"). Price and Campbell are the first U.S. women in 16 years to finish top-8 in the event, with Campbell's sixth-place finish the best-ever by an American woman and Price's tied for third-best since the event was added to the Olympics prior to the 2000 games in Sydney.

DeAnna Price and Amber Campbell are the 1st U.S. women in 16 years to place top-8 in the women's hammer. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/lFOMw2yaqx
— Saluki Track (@SIU_TrackXC) August 15, 2016

Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk, who in 2012 was in first through the qualifying round but eventually had to settle for silver, was not to be denied Monday. Wlodarczyk took home the gold in record-setting fashion, throwing 82.29m (269'-11") on her third attempt to set a new world record. China's Zhang Wenxiu claimed silver, while Great Britain's Sophie Hitchon earned bronze.

With four throwers being eliminated from competition after three throws, it was imperative for competitors to get a good mark in early. Price had a strong opening attempt, throwing 68.12m (223'-6"). The bar was raised significantly the second time through the order, as Wlodarczyk notched her first of three throws that sailed well over the 80m mark. The pressure of needing a big throw in order to medal became evident, with five throwers, including Price, fouling on their second attempts.

DeAnna Price's second attempt nicks the cage, resulting in a foul. One more throw to go!
??: https://t.co/1vRq2Ia3yZ pic.twitter.com/3l51l8gqwK
— Saluki Track (@SIU_TrackXC) August 15, 2016

Sitting on the bubble in eighth place and needing to improve upon her previous mark in order to advance, the Moscow Mills, Mo. native delivered, dialing up her best throw of the day to move up to sixth.

Campbell, as she did at the Olympic Trials, leapfrogged Price on her fifth attempt, throwing 72.74m (238'-7") to bump Price to seventh. Hanna Malyshik of Belarus threw 71.90m (235'-10") on her final attempt to secure seventh and move Price down to eighth.

It marks the seventh time in SIU track and field history that a Saluki has finished top-8 at the Olympics, and the first to do so since U.S. women's track and field head coach Connie Price-Smith finished fifth in the shot put at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

The curtain comes down on a remarkable season for Price. She won her second NCAA hammer throw title with a meet record heave of 71.53m (234'-8"), and later captured bronze at the U.S. Olympic Trials to punch her ticket to Rio. Her throw of 73.09m (239'-09") at the Trials was the furthest all-conditions throw in collegiate history.

Fellow SIU alumna Bianca Stuart will compete in the long jump for the Bahamas tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Stuart will jump in group A, with NBC streaming the event here.