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Dani Stevens, nee Samuels, won the silver medal in the discus at the world championships in London on Sunday night with a throw of 69.64m.
In 2009, when she was Dani Samuels, she was a kid who became the best in the world. Now she's a Stevens and the second best in the world – a better achievement.
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In the final of the 100 metres womens hurdles it all came together for Sally Pearson as she ran away with it to be crowned champion.
This will sound odd, but silver was a better achievement than gold for Stevens. She is a better athlete now than when she was the best in the world.
It's counter-intuitive, but the world gold medallist Sandra Perkovic from Croatia is a level well beyond anyone else in the field at the moment. Perkovic routinely hits 70m, throw after throw after throw, whereas Stevens consistently threw in the mid-60s.
Stevens won gold when no one expected it. Eight years later, she won silver when no one really expected it.
"I always had faith in my potential," she said.
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Stevens had promised to be aggressive, not scared or intimidated, in her approach from the start and that was evident in how she threw - Stevens hit three out of four throws between 63m and 64m.
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"Coming fourth in Rio last year was a really big motivator ... I just wanted to throw what I knew I could throw and reach my potential because I knew I was in PB shape and I wanted to win a medal for Australia, and I got the Aussie record and the area record, which I didn't even know what that was," Stevens said.
"Fourth last year was really devastating for me and that was a big driver for me this year, I really wanted to come out here and win a medal for Australia and throw a PB and I ticked those two things off.
"It's been eight years since I won in Berlin, I was 21 and I won with 65.44m – I threw further the other day in qualifying so the standard has definitely increased."
Earlier 20km race walker Dane Bird Smith posted a big personal best but it sill wasn't enough to repeat his bronze medal winning performance from the Rio Olympics.
The Queensland walker finished in a career best 1:19.28 but was 35 seconds behind Colombian winner Eider Arevalo.
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