At the USATF Throws Festival, held at the University of Arizona’s Drachman Stadium in Tucson, hammer throwers Brooke Andersen and Daniel Haugh absolutely went off.
Andersen, the 2022 World Champion, started her series with a foul on the first throw, but in the second round, she unleashed a then world-leading throw of 78.16 meters. From that point on, she never looked back. In her fourth and fifth round throws, Brooke sent the hammer over 77 meters, however with her sixth and final throw, she absolutely launched the hammer 79.92 meters, furthering the world-leading mark she had just set earlier in the series. This is Brooke’s second best throw ever, having thrown 80.17 meters in 2023. Jie Zhao finished in second (74.10m) and Annette Echikunwoke would finish in third (73.80m).
On the men’s side, Daniel Haugh, who earlier this year set a world record in the weight throw, once again showed why he should be considered a favorite going into the summer. His first throw was all he needed to set himself apart from the field; at 79.01 meters, he would not be caught. Haugh fouled his next three attempts, and rounded out his series with a pair of 78.81 meter throws in rounds five and six. Each of this legal throws would have been enough to win the day. Denzel Comenentia of the Netherlands finished in second (77.75m) and, in his first competition of the season, USA’s Rudy Winkler in third (76.89m).
Also at the Throws Festival, Payton Otterdahl won the shot put with a monster 22.41m throw. This is his third competition throwing over 22 meters in just the past two weeks.
Maggie Malone Hardin sent the javelin 60.17m to win her event. In the shot put, Adelaide Aquilla, Jessica Ramsey, and Jessica Woodward all threw over 18 meters, finishing in second, third, and fourth, respectively, with Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd coming out on top.
Though it was a Throws Fesitval, a number of jumps were also contested. Vashti Cunningham won the high jump with a lead of 1.90 meters, with Zarriea Willis on her heels, finishing her series with a clearance of 1.87 meters.
Full results from the USATF Throws Festival are available here from Finished Results
