Olympic Track and Field 2016: Women's Hammer Throw Medal Winners and Results

Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk broke her own world record in the women's hammer throw final on Monday, as a throw of 82.29 metres was enough to secure gold at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 

Zhang Wenxiu of China took home the silver medal after notching a score of 76.75 metres, while Great Britain's Sophie Hitchon threw a British record of 74.54 metres to snatch the bronze with her last attempt.

Wlodarczyk established the previous world record after throwing for a distance of 81.08 metres in August 2015, but her new record entry was more than a metre superior to that and four metres greater than the old Olympic record.

BBC Sport confirmed Wlodarczyk's historic achievement, not to mention what could be her secret to success:

Wlodarczyk could hardly have hoped for a better result on Monday after coming to Rio hoping to improve upon the silver she won at the 2012 London Olympics.

Not only did the 31-year-old smash her existing world record, but her fifth-round throw of 81.74 metres was the second-longest throw by a woman in the hammer ever. That meant Wlodarczyk now boasts the three longest throws in history, two of which came on Monday, per Athletics Weekly:

The Pole's world record-breaking throw was all the more impressive when one considers she also finished four-and-a-half metres clear of any competition in the qualifying stages—and that was with a throw of 76.93.

Wlodarczyk cleared that distance by a substantial margin when it mattered, though, and athletics commentator Will Downing provided an overview of the final leaderboard in full:

Zhang clinched a bronze medal in front of a home audience at the 2008 Beijing Games and went one better than that with a silver medal-worthy display in Rio on Monday.

Of the three podium finishers, she was, however, the only athlete who failed to break some form of record in the final:

Hitchon's bronze almost appeared to be as much of a surprise to herself as anyone else, considering it was Germany's Betty Heidler who sat in the third-place bubble heading into the final few throws.

But it was there that Hitchon summoned all her might to record the greatest distance ever thrown by a British woman, and it was perhaps the late nature of the decision that made it all the sweeter:

Heidler was dismayed to lose her place on the podium, but it's been something of a theme at these Games for athletes to conjure up their best at the last hurdle.

The track and field events have entered their final week, but Monday's hammer throw final showed the adrenaline is by no means liable to take a backseat in the home stretch.