Jessica Schilder convincingly qualified for the final of the shot put at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene in the night from Friday to Saturday. The two other Dutch women in the qualifier, Jorinde van Klinken and Benthe König, fell short.
The 23-year-old Schilder put the bullet on her first attempt at Hayward Field Stadium to 19.16 meters. That was enough for the required 18.90 meters for a place in the final.
Schilder’s place in the final fits in with her excellent season. After failing to qualify at the Tokyo Olympics last year, she took bronze at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade in March and set a Dutch record (19.68) in June.
The Volendam is the first Dutch in the World Cup final of the shot put since Melissa Boekelman in 2017 in London. The best punch in qualifying came from China’s Gong Lijiao (19.51).
Jessica Schilder looked satisfied at the competition, while she was already certain of a place in the final.
Jessica Schilder looked satisfied at the competition, while she was already certain of a place in the final. Photo: AP
World Cup not over yet for Van Klinken
In the final, which starts in the night from Saturday to Sunday at 3.25 am (Dutch time), twelve women will take action.
Van Klinken finished sixteenth in qualifying with a distance of 18.19 and König finished twentieth with 17.51.
For Van Klinken, the World Cup is not over yet. She also comes into action in the discus throw and that is her best part. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Van Klinken was eliminated in qualifying in the discus throw.
Jessica Köning did not make the final.
Jessica Köning did not make the final. Photo: Getty Images