Doha, Qatar — National record holder Danniel Thomas-Dodd nailed 19.32m on her last throw and sealed her spot in the final of the shot put, but both Shadae Lawrence and young Shanice Love were eliminated from the discus event here yesterday.

With the qualifying mark to the final set at 18.40m, Thomas-Dodd started slowly with 17.60m, then stepped up to 18.06m, but was still short of the automatic qualifying mark.

But just as she did at the Pan Am Games, she saved her best for last with a massive 19.32m and jumped to the top of the group to secure automatic qualification.

Michelle Carter of the United States was second with a throw of 18.85m, with Sophie McKenna third with 17.74m.

Thomas-Dodd was not pleased with her start but happy to progress to the final once again.

“The first two throws were a bit not where I wanted to be. The goal was to try to come out and hit it on the first throw,” she said.

“But that didn’t happen, so I had to kind of refocus after the second one and try to put one together and that’s what I did and was able to get a distance out there,” she explained.

“I am very happy with it [but] I am never satisfied with where I am at, so I have go back home and think about what I could do differently tomorrow so I don’t leave it down to the third-round throw, so that’s the plan.”

The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion said she is feeling really good within herself as most of this discipline is mental.

In 2017 in London, Thomas-Dodd lost bronze on the final throw in the competition and that was devastating. Now she is ready for another medal assault.

“I have been very consistent this season, so I know what I am capable of. It’s just a matter of being patient and patience is not one of my strong points. So I am just trying to be patient with my technique to feel what I am supposed to feel when I am in the ring and the distances will come,” she promised.

As for her chances of going one better and securing a medal: “Fingers crossed. If I do what I am supposed to do ,then hopefully I will.”

Thomas-Dodd will enter the final with the best mark, just ahead of Maggie Ewen of the USA who won Group B with 19.21m. Defending champion Lijiao Gong of China threw 18.96 with just one attempt.

Meanwhile, both ladies fell short in the discus as national record-holder Lawrence had a best throw of 58.51m, well below her best of 65.05m established in May. She finished 10th in Group B and was 19th overall.

In Group A, 22-year-old Love threw 59.50m and was ninth, but 16th overall and she was not too perturbed as she deemed it a learning experience.

“I am a little disappointed but it’s a learning experience for me. Going back to the drawing board and working on the Olympics for next year,” said Love.

“I feel like I was thinking too much just to throw it as far as I can and that wasn’t the plan.

“It has been a long season and it has been a great season for me and finishing with 59 isn’t so bad. But this is not the series I had hoped for, but we don’t get what we want all the time. I was thinking of getting over 60m and I would probably make the final.”