Dani Samuels
Encyclopedia
Dani Samuels (born 26 May 1988) is an Australia
n discus throw
er who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event.
After winning the discus gold and shot put
bronze medals at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
, she went on to win the bronze medal in the discus at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne
at the age of seventeen. She won the discus silver at the 2007 Summer Universiade
and represented Australia at her first World Championships in Athletics soon after. She reached the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and improved significantly the following year to win the gold medal
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
.
Her personal best throws are 65.84 m for the discus and 16.30 metres in the shot put.
, a suburb of Sydney and started athletics at Greystanes Little Athletics
club.
Samuels first attended Merrylands Public School and the school is still proud of her great achievements, she then moved onto Westfields Sports High School
as a basketballer before changing to train with her coach Denis Knowles in the Westfields athletic program.
Her first global appearance came in the shot put
at the 2003 IAAF World Youth Championships at the age of fifteen, at which she finished 13th in the qualifying rounds. She returned to the competition two years later and demonstrated her potential by winning the bronze medal
in the shot put with a new personal best throw of 15.53 m, but she showed that her abilities were also well-suited to the discus as she took the gold medal
in that competition. Samuels also took part in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival
in 2005, winning the shot put and taking second place in the discus throw.
The following year she opened her season with an appearance at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
– her first major senior championship. She reached the shot put final, finishing twelfth overall, but again it was in the discus where she excelled, winning the bronze medal at the age of seventeen. She threw a discus personal best of 60.63 m to take home the title at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
and was seventh overall in the shot put. Following this, she opted to focus solely on the discus throw at major tournaments. She closed the year with a sixth place performance at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
, representing Oceania.
She became the joint Australian champion in the shot put with 'Ana Po'uhila at the start of 2007 and also won her first national title in the discus. She threw a near personal best of 60.47 m to take the silver medal
behind Yarelis Barrios
at the 2007 Summer Universiade
. A few weeks later she took part in her first ever World Championships in Athletics. However, she just missed out on qualifying for the final round of the women's discus competition as she was the best performing non-qualifier.
In 2008 she won her second discus national title and improved her best to 62.95 m in Brisbane
. She reached the Olympic final in the discus at the 2008 Beijing Games, throwing 60.15 m for ninth place. Competing at the 2009 Summer Universiade
, she became the Universiade champion, beating Żaneta Glanc
to the gold medal by a margin of nearly two metres.
She achieved a personal best throw is 65.44 metres at the World Championships in Berlin
on 21 August 2009, winning her the gold medal. Samuels took part in the final edition of the IAAF World Athletics Final
, but she was past her season's peak form and took fifth place with a sub-60 metre throw. She started strongly the following year, opening her season with a personal best of 65.84 m to win at the Sydney Track Classic
in February. She gave a consistent series of throws at the 2010 Australian Championships and won her sixth consecutive national title (indoor and out) with a best throw of 63.31 m.
On 21 September 2010 Samuels withdrew from the Australian team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
. She cited concerns over “health and security in Delhi
”.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
er who in 2009 became the youngest ever female world champion in the event.
After winning the discus gold and shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
bronze medals at the 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:...
, she went on to win the bronze medal in the discus at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
at the age of seventeen. She won the discus silver at the 2007 Summer Universiade
2007 Summer Universiade
The 2007 Summer Universiade, also known as the XXIV Summer Universiade, took place in Bangkok, Thailand.-Medal table:-External links:***...
and represented Australia at her first World Championships in Athletics soon after. She reached the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and improved significantly the following year to win the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
.
Her personal best throws are 65.84 m for the discus and 16.30 metres in the shot put.
Career
Samuels was born in 1988 to mother Tracy Samuels and father Mark Samuels. She is the second eldest of 4 children and the family grew up in MerrylandsMerrylands, New South Wales
Merrylands is a suburb in western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Merrylands is located 25 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Holroyd...
, a suburb of Sydney and started athletics at Greystanes Little Athletics
Little Athletics
Little Athletics is an Australian activity which introduces children aged 5 to 15 to sport through modified athletics events....
club.
Samuels first attended Merrylands Public School and the school is still proud of her great achievements, she then moved onto Westfields Sports High School
Westfields Sports High School
Westfields Sports High School is Australia's first Sports High school. It is a coeducational school in Fairfield West, Sydney, Australia...
as a basketballer before changing to train with her coach Denis Knowles in the Westfields athletic program.
Her first global appearance came in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
at the 2003 IAAF World Youth Championships at the age of fifteen, at which she finished 13th in the qualifying rounds. She returned to the competition two years later and demonstrated her potential by winning the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
in the shot put with a new personal best throw of 15.53 m, but she showed that her abilities were also well-suited to the discus as she took the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in that competition. Samuels also took part in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival
Australian Youth Olympic Festival
The Australian Youth Olympics Festival is an international multi-sport event organised by the Australian Olympic Committee. It has been held biennially since its first successful event in 2001.-External links:*...
in 2005, winning the shot put and taking second place in the discus throw.
The following year she opened her season with an appearance at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
– her first major senior championship. She reached the shot put final, finishing twelfth overall, but again it was in the discus where she excelled, winning the bronze medal at the age of seventeen. She threw a discus personal best of 60.63 m to take home the title at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China....
and was seventh overall in the shot put. Following this, she opted to focus solely on the discus throw at major tournaments. She closed the year with a sixth place performance at the 2006 IAAF World Cup
2006 IAAF World Cup
The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece....
, representing Oceania.
She became the joint Australian champion in the shot put with 'Ana Po'uhila at the start of 2007 and also won her first national title in the discus. She threw a near personal best of 60.47 m to take the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind Yarelis Barrios
Yarelis Barrios
Yarelys Barrios Castañeda is a female discus thrower from Cuba. Her personal best throw is 66.13 metres, achieved in July 2008.-Achievements:-References:*...
at the 2007 Summer Universiade
Athletics at the 2007 Summer Universiade
The athletics competition at the 2007 Summer Universiade was held in the Main Stadium at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, between 9 August and 14 August 2007.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals table:-Results:******...
. A few weeks later she took part in her first ever World Championships in Athletics. However, she just missed out on qualifying for the final round of the women's discus competition as she was the best performing non-qualifier.
In 2008 she won her second discus national title and improved her best to 62.95 m in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. She reached the Olympic final in the discus at the 2008 Beijing Games, throwing 60.15 m for ninth place. Competing at the 2009 Summer Universiade
Athletics at the 2009 Summer Universiade
The athletics competition at the 2009 Summer Universiade was held at the Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, Serbia from July 7 to July 12, 2009.-Men's events:In Long Jump, Kim Deok-Hyeon's record is not unofficial....
, she became the Universiade champion, beating Żaneta Glanc
Żaneta Glanc
Żaneta Glanc is a female discus thrower from Poland. Her personal best is 63.99 metres, achieved in August 2011 in Shenzhen....
to the gold medal by a margin of nearly two metres.
She achieved a personal best throw is 65.44 metres at the World Championships in Berlin
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
on 21 August 2009, winning her the gold medal. Samuels took part in the final edition of the IAAF World Athletics Final
2009 IAAF World Athletics Final results
These are the results of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Final, which took place in Thessaloniki, Greece on 12 and 13 September.The year's top seven athletes, based on their points ranking of the 2009 IAAF World Athletics Tour, qualified to compete in each event, with an extra four athletes selected...
, but she was past her season's peak form and took fifth place with a sub-60 metre throw. She started strongly the following year, opening her season with a personal best of 65.84 m to win at the Sydney Track Classic
Sydney Track Classic
The Sydney Track Classic is an annual outdoor track and field meeting held in February or March at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre in the suburb of Homebush in Sydney, Australia. It is part of the national Australian Athletics Tour, alongside the Melbourne Track Classic.The history of the...
in February. She gave a consistent series of throws at the 2010 Australian Championships and won her sixth consecutive national title (indoor and out) with a best throw of 63.31 m.
On 21 September 2010 Samuels withdrew from the Australian team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
. She cited concerns over “health and security in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
”.
Personal bests
| Event | Best (m) | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discus throw Discus throw The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus... |
65.84 | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia |
27 February 2010 |
| Shot put Shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action.... |
16.30 | Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... , Australia |
19 March 2009 |
| 16.30 | Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , Australia |
16 February 2008 |
- All information taken from IAAF profile.
Achievements
| 2005 | World Youth Championships 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics The 2005 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2005 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Marrakesh, Morocco.The host stadium was Stade Sidi Youssef Ben Ali.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:... |
Marrakech Marrakech Marrakech or Marrakesh , known as the "Ochre city", is the most important former imperial city in Morocco's history... , Morocco Morocco Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara... |
1st | Discus |
| 3rd | Shot put | |||
| 2006 | Commonwealth Games Athletics at the 2006 Commonwealth Games At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 25 March 2006. A total of 47 events were contested, of which 24 by male and 23 by female athletes. Furthermore, three men's and three women's disability events were held within the programme... |
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
3rd | Discus |
| 12th | Shot put | |||
| World Junior Championships 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2006 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2006 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held from 15 August to 20 August at the Chaoyang Sports Center in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China.... |
Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
1st | Discus | |
| 7th | Shot put | |||
| World Cup 2006 IAAF World Cup The 10th IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event, held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, which took place on 16 and 17 September 2006 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece.... |
Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
6th | Discus | |
| 2007 | World Student Games Athletics at the 2007 Summer Universiade The athletics competition at the 2007 Summer Universiade was held in the Main Stadium at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand, between 9 August and 14 August 2007.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medals table:-Results:******... |
Bangkok, Thailand | 2nd | Discus |
| World Championships in Athletics 2007 World Championships in Athletics The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007... |
Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
13th | Discus | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games | Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... , China |
9th | Discus |
| 2009 | World University Games Athletics at the 2009 Summer Universiade The athletics competition at the 2009 Summer Universiade was held at the Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, Serbia from July 7 to July 12, 2009.-Men's events:In Long Jump, Kim Deok-Hyeon's record is not unofficial.... |
Belgrade Belgrade Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe... , Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans... |
1st | Discus |
| World Championships 2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate.... |
Berlin Berlin Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
1st | Discus 2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw The women's discus throw at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on August 19 and August 21.Reigning Olympic champion Stephanie Brown Trafton was the favourite for the gold. She had set a career best and had the four longest throws of any athlete that season,... |
|
| 2011 | World Championships 2011 World Championships in Athletics The 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics was an international athletics competition that was held in Daegu, South Korea. It started on 27 August 2011 and finished on 4 September 2011.... |
Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the... , South Korea South Korea The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south... |
10th | Discus 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw The women's discus throw event at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Daegu Stadium on August 27 and 28.Dani Samuels was the defending champion, but had not performed well prior to the event. Germany's Nadine Müller was the leader in the Diamond League, but it was Chinese... |