American Tausaga wins shock discus gold with astonishing personal best

BUDAPEST :Laulauga Tausaga obliterated her personal best by over four metres to take a stunning world discus gold on Tuesday just as fellow American and hot favourite Valarie Allman had been seemingly cruising towards the title.

Tausaga, who finished last in the previous two world finals, came into the showdown with a best of 65.46 metres but somehow found 69.49 with her fifth throw, before sprinting into the crowd to celebrate with her incredulous supporters.

Olympic champion Allman owned the top six throws of the season, the best of them almost three metres better than anyone else in the field, and was determined to avoid a repeat of last year when she was hot favourite but managed only bronze behind surprise winner Feng Bin of China.

Unlike in Eugene, Allman stamped her authority on the Budapest competition with a first round throw of 68.57 metres – further than any of her rivals had managed all year.

She improved that to 68.79 in the third round and 69.23 in the fourth and seemed comfortably set for gold until her team mate's stunner.

Hawaiian-born Tausaga had managed a personal best of 65.56 but that was barely noticed as it kept her in sixth place at the halfway point.

After Tausaga's Bob Beamonesque throw, Allman had a final chance to reclaim the lead but could not manage it, leaving her compatriot to take a victory throw, which shed did with tears streaming down her face.

Feng claimed bronze with a final round throw of 68.20.

FAIRY GODMOTHER

"I don't know if I have a fairy godmother or my ancestors had some say in it, but I was able to do something tonight that I didn't think was possible," Tausaga said.

"I was confident if I was on my A-game I could sneak through into a medal place and not be 12th like I was in the last