Former SIU athlete to compete for Olympic gold on Monday

Senior thrower DeAnna Price practices the hammer throw March 21, 2016 at the Lew Herzog Track and Field Complex. (DailyEgyptian.com file photo)

By Ted Ward
August 12, 2016

A former Saluki will compete for gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics next week.

With a throw of 70.79 meters, class of 2016 graduate DeAnna Price qualified today for the hammer throw finals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Price and 2011 graduate Gwen Berry represented SIU at the Olympics today, finishing fourth and seventh in their group, respectively.

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The Moscow Mills, Mo., native, who won the NCAA championship for SIU last season in hammer throw, finished ninth overall to qualify for the finals on Monday. A thrower had to finish in the top 12 to qualify.

After scratching her second throw, Berry finished strong with a 69.90 meter throw and just missed the cut finishing in 14th.

Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk, who holds the world record in hammer throw with 81.08 meters and is the favorite to win gold, finished first with a throw of 76.93 meters.

Price holds the American college record with a throw of 72.66 meters.

The finals begin at 8:40 a.m. Monday in Rio.

https://twitter.com/AJPettit10/status/764248994532978688

@DeannaPrice32 is on to Monday's HT finals! 1st time since 2000 @TeamUSA has throwers advance to final round. pic.twitter.com/Z34BzcbSzL

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— Saluki Track & Field (@SIU_TrackXC) August 13, 2016