Canadian record holder Sarah Mitton 5th in her Diamond League shot put opener

Canada's Sarah Mitton opened her Diamond League season with an 18.56-metre throw but couldn't build off the solid effort, placing fifth in women's shot put on Sunday in Rabat, Morocco.

After taking the Tucson Elite Classic with a 19.58 performance last weekend in Arizona, she dipped to 18.12 on her second try in Rabat, 18.04 on her fifth and decided against a sixth and final attempt.

Ranked second in the world, Mitton threw 18.98 in Oslo, Norway, 19.90 in Stockholm and 19.44 in Poland last year on the Diamond League professional track and field circuit before a second-place finish at the season finale.

Her coach, Rich Parkinson, said the Brooklyn, N.S., athlete spent the indoor season tweaking technique and getting faster and stronger.

"I expect to see her compete and throw well [in the outdoor campaign]," he told CBC Sports recently. "I know she has sights on winning Diamond League. She isn't working this hard for second."

Athletics Canada's 2022 field athlete of the year placed in the top three at three of four Diamond League competitions last season and went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and NACAC Championships in August.

Mitton, who lives in Toronto, opened the indoor season in January setting a national mark of 19.80 and the following month exacted revenge on 2022 Diamond League champion Chase Ealey of the United States, defeating the reigning world champion in Madrid at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold series meet.

Mitton, who raised her Canadian record to 20.33 last June at the national championships, will compete at the Meeting de Paris Diamond League event on June 9 and six days later at the Bislett Games in Oslo.

Cameroon-born Portuguese athlete Auriol Dongmo and Jessica Schilder of the