Ratcliffe in, Bruce out of Olympic hammer throw final

New Zealand hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe has given herself a shot at an Olympic medal after qualifying for the final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Ratcliffe qualified for the final with the sixth-best throw this afternoon, nailing 73.20m on her first attempt. The throw was just short of her personal best of 73.55m, set earlier this year.

Fellow Kiwi Lauren Bruce was unable to make the cut, throwing a best of just 67.71 in a day where she lacked rhythm in the circle.

World record holder and two-time defending Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk, of Poland, was the top thrower in qualifying, with a distance of 76.99m. In contrast, her Olympic record from Rio is 82.29m.

The final is scheduled for Tuesday night at 11.30pm (NZ time).

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