Haruka Kitaguchi won the women's javelin on Saturday with her first throw of 65.80 meters to earn Japan's first gold medal in the event.
South Africa's Jo-Ane van Dyk and Czech Republic's Nikola Ogrodnikova made valiant efforts to overhaul her but never came close as they took silver and bronze with throws of 63.93 and 63.68, respectively.
Last year Kitaguchi needed her final throw to take the world gold in Budapest, but there was little suspense at the Stade de France as she started with her best throw of the season.