Polish teen hammers rivals

Skolimowska launches her gold medal winning throw

Teenager Kamila Skolimowska of Poland pulled off a major shock when she won the women's first ever Olympic hammer gold.

The 17-year-old World Junior Champion threw 71.16m with her third throw to shatter her personal best and beat Russian Olga Kuzenkova and Kirsten Muenchow of Germany, who won silver and bronze respectively.

It made her one of the youngest gold medal winners in Olympic track and field history.

Crowned European junior champion in 1997 at the age of 14, Skolimowska won the competition with her third throw.

Her second-best effort would also have been good enough for gold.

Kuzenkova, the former world record holder and world silver medallist, had been the favourite after easily heading the qualifying with 70.60m.

Commonwealth champion Lorraine Shaw of Britain, competing in her first major final, failed to make it into the top eight and as a result missed out on the final three rounds.

She finished ninth with a best throw 64.27m.

World record holder Mihaela Melinte of Romania missed the competition after being led away from the warm-up area prior to qualifying on Wednesday following confirmation that she had tested positive for anabolic steroids.

She lost a last-minute appeal asking to be allowed to compete in the final.