15-year-old Yan Ziyi sets javelin throw world junior record, throws 64.28m

15-year-old Yan Ziyi of China set a new javelin women's World Junior Record (U20) with a 64.28m throw at the National Athletics Grand Prix 2 meeting on Sunday. She fell just 0.06m short of the Chinese national record.

Ziyi, who will turn 16 in May, broke Cuba's Yulenmis Aguilar’s mark of 63.86 set in August 2015, and bettered the unratified 63.96 from Elina Tzengko of Greece set in August 2020.

Ziyi beat three-time World Championships Lu Huihui, who threw 61.95m, to clinch the gold medal.

Ziyi surpassed the 60m in four of her five competitions this year. With her latest throw, she went past her previous personal and season-best mark of 62.23m set in Chengdu at the start of this month.

On Sunday, she added another two metres to that mark to improve her throw.

Ziyi started the National Athletics Grand Prix 2 with a mighty throw of 60.83m on her first attempt and followed it with 59.53m on her second attempt. She then fouled in the next three rounds but ended the series on a high, launching the implement 64.28m to win the competition, set a world lead and break the U20 record.

To place Ziyi's record into perspective, it must be told that India's Annu Rani won the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou last year with a 69.92m throw, while the Chinese national record stands at 64.34m held by Huihui achieved in May 2020.