EAST Lancashire hammer thrower Sophie Hitchon has qualified for Friday’s Olympic final after breaking her British record this morning.
The Blackburn Harrier, from Burnley, qualified in 10th position overall after throwing 71.98m in the last of her three qualifying attempts.
It beat her previous best of 71.61m that she set in San Diego, California, earlier this summer.
Hitchon’s first qualifying attempt was 67.21m, while her second effort was a foul.
Despite a nervy wait, Hitchon was among the 12 hammer throwers that booked their place in the final on Friday, which starts at 7.35pm.
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