PARIS, France — Team USA discus thrower Valarie Allman added another gold medal to her collection on Monday with a win in women's discus at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Allman fouled on her first attempt, landing the discus wide of the right-side boundary, but took the lead on her second try with a throw of 68.74. She put the competition totally out of reach with a 69.50 on her fourth attempt.
She topped Bin Feng of China, who got silver, and Sandra Elkasevic of Croatia, who got bronze.
Allman spent most of her childhood in Hershey, Pennsylvania, before moving to Longmont. She was the co-valedictorian at Silver Creek High School, which held a watch party Tuesday for their famous alumna. She took a leave of absence in her master's in communication program at Stanford University to train.
She also led the competition after qualifications last week with a throw of 69.59.
How does discus throw work?
Athletes stand in a circle measuring 8.2 feet in diameter, spin around to build centrifugal force and release the discus.
After release, the discus must land inside a marked sector, and the athlete cannot leave the circle before it has landed. A net surrounds the thrower for safety.
Is men's discus heavier than women's discus?
The men use a discus that weighs 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) and is 22 centimeters (8.66 inches) in diameter.
Women use a discus that weighs 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and is 18 centimeters (7.09 inches) in diameter.
What is the all-time discus record?
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania, and competing for the University of California at Berkeley, set the all-time discus throw for men at 74.35 meters (243 feet, 11 inches) at a meet in Oklahoma in 2024.
Gabriele Reinsch of Germany set the all-time discus throw record for women at 76.80 meters (252.0 feet) in 1988.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.