Germany's Schwanitz wins shot put gold at worlds (updated)

Germany's Christina Schwanitz seized her opportunity to shine and claimed the women's shot put gold medal at the World Athletics Championships here on Saturday.

The European champion registered the winning throw of 20.37 meters, 7 centimeters over Chinese Gong Lijiao, who took silver. American Michelle Carter had bronze.

With New Zealand's defending champion Valerie Adams withdrawing due to a slow recovery from last year's shoulder and elbow operations, Schwanitz was favored to win the gold ahead of the final, but the German star had to admit she was pushed to corners by Gong.

"It feels so unreal. It's unbelievable. All because of 7 centimeters, all this in China, so far away from home," Schwanitz said. "The competition was very hard. Gong was very concentrated and very tense."

Gong, who was fifth at the Olympics in the same stadium seven years ago and third at the London Games, was not content with her result.

"It's my first silver medal at the championships but it's still a pity, because I got very close to becoming champion," said Gong, also a two-time bronze medalist at the worlds.

"My first throw was good, but I hurt my right calf. After that, I could not do my very best. It's a pity that I could not use this opportunity here in front of home crowd," she added. Endi