SHE might have crashed out in the shot put on the first day of action, but Danniel Thomas has written her name in the annals of Jamaican athletics, becoming the first female ever to represent the country in the shot put discipline at the World Championships.

“For the first time, I would say it is great experience for me; it has boosted my confidence. I am the first female shot putter for Jamaica ever to compete at a World Championship, so it’s a privilege for me,” said Thomas, as she exited the mixed zone.

Thomas, 22, finished at the bottom of Group A in 12th spot with only one legal throw of 16.62m in three attempts, and failed to make the 18.30m required to qualify for the final round.

“Well, I went out there with the mentality, ‘OK, I gotta go hard’, but what I needed to do was relax and let my technique take form. I was trying too hard on the first throw. I hit a really big one which would have advanced me to the final, but because I was trying to go so hard, the momentum plus the speed that I had took me out of the ring and caused me to foul.

“For the second throw I needed to relax, focus on the technique instead of trying to do everything so fast. But it wasn’t as far as I wanted it,” Thomas noted

“The third throw was a bit short also, so it wouldn’t have advanced me to the final, that’s why I fouled that one. But it’s a learning experience,” said Thomas.

The Kent State University student and top Jamaican in the event was way off her personal best of 17.76m, which was done in Toronto, Canada earlier this year.

The group was topped by Germany’s Christina Scwanitz, who qualified in one attempt with a 19.39 throw. Hungary’s Anita Marton qualified in second position with a throw of 18.85m, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Cleopatra Borel finished in third position, qualifying on her second attempt with an 18.55m throw.

Despite her shortcomings at the World Championship, Thomas believes she has done enough to lift the female profile of shot put in Jamaica.

“Last year at the Commonwealth Games we had two female discus throwers and I was one of the two. And to come this season to do what I have done, I think it has given younger kids confidence to want to try the event,” said Thomas.

She continued: “Back in the days it was mostly sprinting, track and field events, but now you have kids who see us performing this way [and] they want to try the events more,” she added.

Thomas is now looking ahead to the Olympics in Brazil next year with more optimism after gaining valuable experience here.

“It has boosted my confidence and gave me an eye opener going back to school at the end of the month. It’s going to give me the motivation to train harder so I can ensure that I qualify for the Olympics from early,” said Thomas.

“What I have taken away is that even though you see a lot of these girls who are professionals, it’s what you do out there on the day. Whatever they have done in the past sometimes it doesn’t really counts. You have to go out there as the individual and on the day perform,” she added.