15-year-old Yan Ziyi sets new javelin women's World Junior Record after throwing 64.28m

15-year-old Yan Ziyi of China brought herself into the International spotlight by setting a new women's javelin throw World Junior Record (U20) at the National Athletics Grand Prix 2 meeting on Sunday. Ziyi smashed a remarkable throw of 64.28m. However, she narrowly missed the Chinese National Record by 0.06m. 

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Yan Ziyi, who will celebrate her 16th birthday in May, surpassed the previous record of Cuba's Yulenmis Aguilar, set in August 2015. In addition, her throw also surpassed the unratified mark of 63.96m by Elina Tzengko of Greece in August 2020.

Yan Ziyi beat three-time World Championships Lu Huihui, who threw 61.95m, to clinch the gold medal. She 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 meters to that mark to improve her throw.

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

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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.