Grimaldi just misses out on medal
ANNA Grimaldi was on the other end of the equation yesterday.
Last year at the Rio Paralympics, the young Dunedin long jumper pulled out an impressive final jump to win the gold medal in the T47 long jump.
However, at the World Para Athletic Championships in London yesterday, Grimaldi had a medal snatched away from her during the final series of jumps.
She was sitting in the silver medal place before the sixth and final round in the T47 long jump final but slipped down the rankings to finish fourth.
Grimaldi, who had been struggling with a foot injury which forced her out of the sprint events at the championships, put together a consistent series of jumps.
Her best jump was 5.21m, only 6cm away from gold medallist Taleah Williams, of the United States.
Grimaldi pulled out that 5.21m jump in the fifth round in which Williams also set her winning mark.
In the final round, Briton Polly Maton jumped out to 5.23m and then Frenchwoman Angelina Lanza recorded a jump of 5.22m.
It was an extremely close series of jumps for the first four jumpers in an absorbing contest.
Grimaldi fouled out in her final jump. The wind was swirling around the stadium and jumps were conducted in both head and tail winds.
The winning distance was well below the 5.62m Grimaldi jumped to win gold at the Paralympics last year.
Overall, New Zealand finished the championships with five medals — two silver and three bronze — compared with four medals at the previous world championships.