JAMAICA’S Nayoka Clunis moved within touching distance of qualifying for this summer’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after throwing a personal best 71.13m to place fourth in the women’s hammer throw on Saturday’s second day of the Iron Wood throws classic in Idaho in the USA.

Clunis, who improved on her previous best of 70.68m done at the University of Virginia in April, moved into the top 35 in the world and is well positioned to be offered an invitation to fill out the quota by World Athletics, if she maintains that position.

The qualifying mark for the women’s hammer throw for the World Championships is 73.60m, but if there are not sufficient numbers of throwers with the mark inside the qualifying window, the organisers will invite athletes to fill out the quota of 35 for the first round.

The former Excelsior High thrower, who attended both the University of Minnesota and the University of Tennessee in the USA, was going over the 70.00-metre mark for the third time since April, after she had thrown 70.41m on Thursday’s first day of the Iron Wood throws classic.

American Deanna Price won on Saturday with a best of 77.25m, followed by Rachel Tanczos who threw 73.87m, with Erin Reese placing third with 72.48m.