World champion defeated

Next triumph for javelin heroine Vicky Hudson!

Victoria Hudson

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

In her first competition after winning gold at the European Championships in Rome, Victoria Hudson celebrated her next big triumph in Finland!

The 28-year-old won the women's javelin at the traditional Kuortane Games with 64.71 m, even beating world champion Haruka Kitaguchi (64.28). In her 13th duel with the Japanese athlete, the Lower Austrian celebrated her third success.

Second-best career distance
In the fifth round, Hudson made the big move in the small but beautiful stadium in Kuortane. After a weak series for her up to this point (57.21, two invalid attempts and 56.41), she threw the javelin to a magnificent 64.71 m, overtaking the Japanese athlete who had been leading with 64.08 since her third attempt. This 64.17 m is a small sensation for Hudson so soon after the European Championships. After her 66.06 achieved in Eisenstadt this year, this was her second-best distance of her career. She threw nine centimeters further than when she won gold at the European Championships.

Coach amazed
Coach Gregor Högler was even amazed: "I hadn't expected that today. We had continued to train right up to the end and hardly paid any attention to the competition." But it turned out as Hudson had already announced a few times this season: "If I hit a throw right, anything is possible." This was also the case in Finland, the Mecca of javelin throwing.

She thus celebrated her third victory over the world champion, who improved from eleventh place in the world's best list to fifth place in the Olympic year with 64.28 m in her final attempt. The Colombian Flor Dennis Ruiz leads the world rankings with 66.70 m ahead of Victoria Hudson (66.06 m). Our 28-year-old European champion therefore won her 13th duel with Haruka Kitaguchi. Hudson's last two victories came in May 2021, so she is still riding the wave of success ...