China's Gong Lijiao won the women's shot put gold with a personal best effort on a blisteringly hot Tokyo morning on Sunday as the athletics world braced for the men's 100 metres, one of the pinnacles of the Games, later in the day.
As trackside temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Gong, after 14 years of international competition, produced a throw of 20.58 meters.
Double world champion Gong had previously finished fourth, third and second in the Olympics — on the back of some promotions following the doping disqualification of rivals. All five of her legal throws on Sunday were better than the rest of the field and she delivered a lifetime best with her final effort.
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