Olympics: Gowda finishes a lowly 8th in discus throw

London: India's Vikas Gowda finished eighth in the men's discus throw event in London Olympics with a below-par effort here Tuesday night.

United States-based Gowda hurled the 2kg disc to a distance of 64.79m in his first attempt, well below his personal best of 66.28m which he recorded in the run-up to the Games.

A personal best would not have been enough for the 29-year-old Indian to have climbed the podium but after his fifth-place finish at the qualification round yesterday by clearing 65.20m, it was expected that he would put up a good fight.

The Indian\'s best throw was 64.79m, way below gold medallist Robert Harting\'s 68.27m.

His first attempt 64.79m ensured him that he remained in the competition at seventh after the first round of three attempts following which four of the 12 throwers were eliminated.

But after that Gowda failed to lift his performance as his next five throws read 60.95m, 63.03m, 64.15m, 64.48m and 63.89m.

Reigning world champion Robert Harting of Germany won gold with a throw of 68.27m which he achieved in his fifth attempt while the silver went to Asian champion Ehsan Hadadi of Iran who cleared 68.18m in his first throw.

2008 Beijing Olympics winner Gerd Kanter of Estonia bagged the bronze with the season's best throw of 68.03m which he came up in his fifth throw.

Gowda thus ended his campaign on a disappointing note as he failed to better his personal best though he had become only the seventh Indian to have qualified for the final round in track and field event of the Olympic Games.

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