VILJOEN SETTLES FOR FIFTH

Sunette Viljoen competing at last year’s World Championships in Beijing (photo credit: www.iaaf.org

Olympic silver medallist Sunette Viljoen took fifth place in the women’s javelin throw at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday night.

The only SA athlete competing at the 11th leg of the series, Viljoen launched a 62.47m effort with her second attempt.

She missed the midway cut by 29 centimetres after three rounds, however, and did not get a chance to go further.

Latvian athlete Madara Palameika secured victory with a throw of 65.29m in the final round.

Viljoen, who has earned two wins in this year’s Diamond League series, was lying third in the season standings in her specialist event.

The next leg of the top-flight track and field campaign will be held in Paris on Saturday.