Sarah Mitton improves indoor shot put record for Canadian women to 19.80 metres

Nova Scotia's Sarah Mitton wasted little time making Canadian shot put history in the new year.

She threw 19.40 metres in the opening round Friday at the Can/Am Classic in Windsor, Ont., to raise the 19.16 national indoor mark she set last Feb. 5 in New York. On her sixth and final attempt at Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse, she improved to 19.80.

On Sept. 7, the Canadian outdoor record holder and reigning national champion capped a memorable 2022 season with a second-place performance at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League Final.

The native of Brooklyn, N.S., had a best throw of 19.56 on the first of her six attempts. Mitton, who now lives and trains in Toronto, took home $12,000 US.

WATCH | Mitton rides 19.56-metre throw to 2nd place in Diamond League Final:

She began her sensational 2022 campaign in early February, throwing 19.16 to top Brittany Crew's 18.81 indoor mark.

Three months later, Mitton's 19.58 effort outdoors at the Golden Horseshoe Prep Meet in Hamilton surpassed Crew's 19.28 from 2019.

On June 25, Mitton upped the record to 20.33 in Langley, B.C., for her second Canadian title at the senior level before placing fourth at worlds in Eugene, Ore.

The 26-year-old went on to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and NACAC Championships in August, throwing 20.15 at the latter event in the Bahamas.

Mitton's other season highlights include second- and third-place finishes, respectively, at Diamond League meets in Stockholm and Silesia, Poland.

WATCH | Mitton wins 2022 Commonwealth Games gold: