Javelin thrower Annu Rani seventh in World C'ships

India's Annu Rani finished seventh in the women's javelin throw final after a below-par effort of 61.12 metres at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday.

Competing in her second consecutive final in the showpiece event, Rani, who has a season's and personal best of 63.82m, achieved her best of the day on her second attempt but failed to cross the 60m mark in her other five throws.

Her series read 56.18m, 61.12m, 59.27m, 58.14m, 59.98m and 58.70m.

The national record holder qualified for the final as the eighth best in the qualification round with a throw of 59.60m.

Defending champion Kelsey-Lee Barber of Australia won the gold with a best and world leading throw of 66.91m. American Kara Winger took the silver with a last round effort of 64.05m while Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan won a surprise bronze with her best throw of 63.27m.

Olympic champion Shiying Liu of China was fourth with a best performance of 63.25m.

This was Rani's third appearance at the Championships. She finished eighth in the final with a best throw of 61.12m in the last edition in 2019 in Doha. She did not qualify for the final in 2017 in London after finishing 10th in her qualification group.

Annu had broken her own National record with a throw of 63.82m while winning gold during the Indian Open in Jamshedpur, in May.