# 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw

The women's discus throw event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 27 and 28.
Dani Samuels was the defending champion, but had not performed well prior to the event. Germany's Nadine Müller was the leader in the Diamond League, but it was Chinese thrower Li Yanfeng who held the best mark that season (67.98 m). Stephanie Brown Trafton entered as the reigning Olympic champion, while 2009 World medallists Yarelis Barrios and Nicoleta Grasu were other prominent competitors. Sandra Perković, the leading athlete earlier in the season, was absent due to a six-month ban for doping offences.
Nadine Müller had the best mark in the qualifying rounds, with her sole throw of 65.54 m to make the final. Li Yanfeng and Yarelys Barrios were the next best throwers in the first round. Dani Samuels narrowly avoided elimination, while Aretha Thurmond was among those to miss the final. In the final the following day, Li took the lead in the first round with a throw of 65.28 m and Müller followed her over the 65 m line into second place. Żaneta Glanc of Poland had an opening throw of 63.91 m, moving into third place. The top three remained unchanged after the second throw, although Li improved her lead to 66.52 m and Müller consolidated her second place with a mark of 65.97 m. Barrios of Cuba moved into third in the next round with her best mark of the competition (65.73 m) and defending champion Samuels was struck out in the final cut off. Brown Trafton threw her best (63.85 m) in round four, moving into fifth place, but the medal positions remained unchanged thereafter – Li won the gold medal, while Müller and Barrios took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.
Although Li had won gold medals in Asian-level competitions, it was the 32-year-old's first medal of any colour on the world stage. She credited her success to her work with German coach Karl-Heinz Steinmetz and increased seasonal competition against foreign athletes. Müller silver also represented her first medal at a global championships. For Barrios it was her fourth consecutive time on the major podium, having been runner-up at the two previous world championships and winner of the 2008 Olympic silver medal.

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Li Yanfeng China (CHN) | Nadine Müller Germany (GER) | Yarelys Barrios Cuba (CUB) |

## Records

Prior to the competition, the established records were as follows.
| World record | Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) | 76.80 | Neubrandenburg, East Germany | 7 July 1988 |
| Championship record | Martina Hellmann (GDR) | 71.62 | Rome, Italy | 31 August 1987 |
| World leading | Li Yanfeng (CHN) | 67.98 | Schönebeck, Germany | 5 June 2011 |
| African record | Elizna Naudé (RSA) | 64.87 | Stellenbosch, South Africa | 2 March 2003 |
| Asian record | Xiao Yanling (CHN) | 71.68 | Beijing, China | 14 March 1992 |
| North, Central American and Caribbean record | Hilda Ramos (CUB) | 70.88 | Havana, Cuba | 8 May 1992 |
| South American record | Elisângela Adriano (BRA) | 62.00 | São Caetano do Sul, Brazil | 23 July 2011 |
| European record | Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) | 76.80 | Neubrandenburg, East Germany | 7 July 1988 |
| Oceanian record | Daniela Costian (AUS) | 68.72 | Auckland, New Zealand | 22 January 1994 |

## Qualification standards

| A standard | B standard |
| 62.00 m | 59.50 m |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Round |
| August 27, 2011 | 10:05 | Qualification |
| August 28, 2011 | 19:05 | Final |

## Results
### Qualification

Qualification: Qualifying Performance 62.00 (Q) or at least 12 best performers (q) advance to the final.
| Rank | Group | Athlete | Nationality | #1 | #2 | #3 | Result | Notes |
| 1 | A | Nadine Müller | Germany (GER) | 65.54 | | | 65.54 | Q |
| 2 | B | Li Yanfeng | China (CHN) | x | 64.44 | | 64.44 | Q |
| 3 | A | Yarelis Barrios | Cuba (CUB) | 63.80 | | | 63.80 | Q |
| 4 | B | Żaneta Glanc | Poland (POL) | 59.48 | 63.44 | | 63.44 | Q |
| 5 | A | Tan Jian | China (CHN) | 62.26 | | | 62.26 | Q |
| 6 | B | Stephanie Brown Trafton | United States (USA) | 61.89 | x | 59.87 | 61.89 | q |
| 7 | A | Zinaida Sendriūtė | Lithuania (LTU) | x | 56.61 | 61.72 | 61.72 | q |
| 8 | A | Dragana Tomašević | Serbia (SRB) | 60.45 | x | x | 60.45 | q |
| 9 | B | Denia Caballero | Cuba (CUB) | x | 52.93 | 60.36 | 60.36 | q |
| 10 | B | Nicoleta Grasu | Romania (ROM) | 60.13 | 58.25 | 59.58 | 60.13 | q |
| 11 | A | Dani Samuels | Australia (AUS) | 59.77 | 60.05 | 59.98 | 60.05 | q |
| 12 | A | Darya Pishchalnikova | Russia (RUS) | 54.11 | 59.94 | 59.53 | 59.94 | q |
| 13 | B | Aretha Thurmond | United States (USA) | 59.88 | x | 59.48 | 59.88 | |
| 14 | A | Ma Xuejun | China (CHN) | 55.80 | 59.34 | 59.71 | 59.71 | |
| 15 | A | Gia Lewis-Smallwood | United States (USA) | x | 56.91 | 59.49 | 59.49 | |
| 16 | A | Natalya Fokina-Semenova | Ukraine (UKR) | 56.73 | 55.16 | 58.27 | 58.27 | |
| 17 | B | Monique Jansen | Netherlands (NED) | 58.23 | 58.06 | 57.96 | 58.23 | |
| 18 | A | Andressa de Morais | Brazil (BRA) | x | 44.41 | 57.93 | 57.93 | |
| 19 | B | Kazai Suzanne Kragbé | Ivory Coast (CIV) | 57.55 | 55.75 | x | 57.55 | |
| 20 | B | Kateryna Karsak | Ukraine (UKR) | 57.54 | x | 57.29 | 57.54 | |
| 21 | B | Harwant Kaur | India (IND) | 55.50 | 56.49 | 52.98 | 56.49 | |
| 22 | B | Elisângela Adriano | Brazil (BRA) | 56.28 | 53.70 | 56.45 | 56.45 | |
| 23 | A | Věra Pospíšilová-Cechlová | Czech Republic (CZE) | 53.87 | 51.52 | x | 53.87 | |
| 24 | B | Karen Gallardo | Chile (CHI) | 51.32 | 52.33 | 53.69 | 53.69 | |

### Final

Format: Each athlete has three attempts, then the eight best performers have three further attempts
| Rank | Athlete | Nationality | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | Result | Notes |
| | Li Yanfeng | China (CHN) | 65.28 | 66.52 | 65.50 | 64.32 | 64.34 | 63.83 | 66.52 | |
| | Nadine Müller | Germany (GER) | 65.06 | 65.97 | 64.08 | 62.55 | x | x | 65.97 | |
| | Yarelys Barrios | Cuba (CUB) | x | 61.87 | 65.73 | 63.93 | x | 63.90 | 65.73 | SB |
| 4 | Żaneta Glanc | Poland (POL) | 63.91 | 62.30 | 63.11 | 62.69 | 62.17 | 60.32 | 63.91 | |
| 5 | Stephanie Brown Trafton | United States (USA) | 60.20 | 60.97 | 60.24 | 63.85 | 60.26 | x | 63.85 | |
| 6 | Tan Jian | China (CHN) | 60.46 | 61.44 | 61.79 | 62.96 | x | 61.12 | 62.96 | |
| 7 | Dragana Tomašević | Serbia (SRB) | 62.26 | 58.97 | 62.48 | x | 59.03 | 58.63 | 62.48 | SB |
| 8 | Nicoleta Grasu | Romania (ROM) | 57.95 | 60.34 | 62.08 | 60.79 | 60.45 | 60.72 | 62.08 | |
| 9 | Denia Caballero | Cuba (CUB) | 60.73 | 60.46 | x | | | | 60.73 | |
| 10 | Dani Samuels | Australia (AUS) | 58.08 | 59.14 | x | | | | 59.14 | |
| 11 | Darya Pishchalnikova | Russia (RUS) | 56.89 | 58.10 | 57.61 | | | | 58.10 | |
| 12 | Zinaida Sendriūtė | Lithuania (LTU) | x | 57.30 | 53.53 | | | | 57.30 | |