Ecuador's Juleisy Angulo surprised even herself by launching the javelin 65.12 metres with the second of her six attempts to clinch world championship gold at Japan's National Stadium on Saturday.
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Angulo was ranked 31st in the world coming into the final and her winning throw beat her previous personal best by 1.87 metres.
"My goal here was to reach the final so I am very emotional, in shock. I still can't believe it," the 24-year-old said.
"I have dreamed of a world medal since I started athletics. I have faced some adversities, such as two surgeries in my left knee, but I persevered. I never gave up."
Angulo's medal was a first at the world championships for Ecuador away from race-walking since Alex Quinonez won a bronze in the 200 metres six years ago in Doha.
While Angulo set out her stall early, Latvian Anete Sietina saved her best until last with a personal best of 64.64m on her final throw of the night to clinch silver.
"It's like a dream but I deserve it," she said. "All the work I put in, it's so much and it's hard, so it means everything. It's a magic night in Tokyo."
GOLDEN ARM. 🇪🇨💪
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) September 20, 2025
Ecuador's Juleisy Angulo takes gold in the women's javelin final, with a 65.12m throw.#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/dqZBMZ1k4X
While the top two were first-time medallists at global championships, Australia's Mackenzie Little won a second successive world bronze medal after her opening throw of 63.58m was beaten by only Angulo and Sietina.
There was a little bit of payback from Sietina in knocking Little out of the silver medal position with her final throw as the Australian and Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi had done the same to deny her a medal at the last worlds in Budapest.
Little bore absolutely no animosity towards her longtime rival, however.
"Maybe I should be sad that I lost the silver in the sixth round, but actually I'm so happy about my lovely friend Anete," said Little.
"She is so wonderful, a deserving girl. We're really competitive and aggressive as athletes, but we can be just as thrilled for each other."
Olympic and world champion Kitaguchi failed to get through qualifying on Friday after struggling with an elbow injury in the run-up to the championships.
Austrian Victoria Hudson leads the world this year with a throw of 67.76m, but she only got one legal throw in on the night at 59.52m and bowed out before the leaders completed the last two rounds.