2013 World Championships in Athletics – Women's hammer throw

The women's hammer throw at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Luzhniki Stadium on 14–16 August.^[1]

Women's hammer throw at the 2013 World Championships
Venue	Luzhniki Stadium
Dates	14 August (qualification) 16 August (final)
Competitors	26 from 18 nations
Winning distance	78.80 m (258 ft 6+1⁄4 in)
Medalists
Anita Włodarczyk  Poland (POL)   Zhang Wenxiu  China (CHN)   Wang Zheng  China (CHN)
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After feeling out the ring, there were six automatic qualifiers to the final, most making it on their second attempt. It took 70.47 to make the final. Among the non-qualifiers was the world record holder Betty Heidler.

In the final, Jeneva McCall's first attempt 72.33 held up through the first 9 throwers until Tatyana Lysenko let loose a 77.58. Zhang Wenxiu answered that with a 74.62 to move into second place. The second round got more serious with three more throwers over 74 meters, with Wang Zheng moving into second with a personal best 74.90. Lysenko had a second throw out over 77. In the third round, Anita Włodarczyk moved into the lead, her 77.79 tickling her own championship record from 2009, what was at the time the world record. Zhang moved past her teammate back into third with a 75.09. And after leading most of the first round, McCall's day was done. After the short break to rearrange the order, the fourth round was the decider. The five competitors all fouled consecutively, then Zhang shored up her third place with a 75.58. Next into the ring, Lysenko sent it out 78.80 a new championship record. And following her, Włodarczyk set a new Polish national record with her 78.46. In the final two rounds, nobody came within a meter of improving.

Performances in the World Championships contributed to the final scoring of the 2013 IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge – a first for the series.^[2]