China's Yao wins women's discus F64 at Kobe Para Athletics Championships

KOBE, Japan, May 19 (Xinhua) -- China's Yao Juan won the gold medal in the women's discus throw F64 final at the Para Athletics World Championships here on Sunday.

Yao recorded her seasonal best throw of 43.09 meters in her fourth attempt at the Universiade Memorial Stadium in the central Japanese port city of Kobe.

The 39-year-old thrower is also the current world record holder of the F44 class.

Mexico's Osiris Aneth Machado Plata finished second with a new American record of 40.35m, while China's Yang Yue claimed the bronze with her seasonal best of 38.72m.

Yao's triumph brought China's gold medal tally to seven on Day 3 of the nine-day event. The Kobe 2024 Para Athletics World Championships, held in East Asia for the first time, serve as a crucial qualifier for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The championships have attracted over 1,000 athletes from 100 countries and regions competing in 168 events.

A total of 73 Chinese para-athletes are competing in the championships, which run until May 25. Originally scheduled for 2021, the event was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.