Mitton not seeking redemption in Diamond League Final after fouling out of Olympic shot put
CBC
Sarah Mitton won't be praying for rain in Brussels on Friday to open the two-day Diamond League Final, but she will welcome such conditions during shot put competition next spring and summer leading into September's World Athletics Championships in Japan.
Mitton, who won indoor world gold in March, believes the rainy and wet conditions at Stade de France cost her an Olympic medal last month in Paris.
"I feel I was in the best shape of my life and the most prepared I could have been to throw far," Mitton said before flying to Belgium, where she will try to be Canada's first-ever Diamond League Trophy winner in women's shot put, which begins at 1:43 p.m. ET.
With a 20.68-metre personal best, Mitton threw 17.15 and 17.48 on Aug. 9 before falling out of the circle on her third throw, telling CBC Sports this week it would have measured 19.50-19.60 for the bronze medal ahead of Song Jiayuan of China. Instead, she placed last in a field of 12.
"I need to throw in the rain a bit more. I haven't had a lot of opportunity [in my career] and I've never been successful with the spin [technique] in the rain," said Mitton, who was 28th in her 2021 Olympic debut in Tokyo.
The native of Brooklyn, N.S., said her throws didn't have the necessary intensity in the Paris final and when it started to rain, she panicked and tried to change her throwing strategy.
"Having a little bit of fear of falling down and not doing your best is better than changing your game plan on the day," Mitton said. "I need to attack throws [with confidence] while it's raining and get over that mental barrier."
Post-Olympics, the 28-year-old twice competed in Germany - topping 20 metres for the third time this season in Thum (20.18) where she threw 18.86 in a steady downpour a year ago. She then tossed 19.52 at a Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland before returning home to Toronto for three weeks.
"Those meets were critical to my mental well-being, but it was good to come home and reset," said Mitton. "With a three-week break, sometimes it gets tough to stay focused, but I got in the [shot put] circle and worked on some pieces I know lead to bigger throws."
WATCH l Mitton opens up about missing Olympic podium:
Long throws will probably be a must to hold off two-time defending Diamond League champion Chase Jackson, who tossed a 20.64 season best in Lausanne after failing to qualify for the Olympic final.
"I managed to [beat] her at world indoors [on March 1]," said Mitton, who was second to her American rival in each of the past two Finals. Her most recent outdoor win over Jackson was June 15, 2023 at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.
"I'm not going to the Diamond League Final looking for redemption but excited to show up and try to throw my furthest on the day," Mitton said.
WATCH | Mitton throws 19.94m for 2nd at '23 Diamond League Final:
