Heartbreak as Aussie Matthew Denny finishes fourth in discus

Australia’s Matthew Denny has come agonisingly close to a medal in the discus, before ultimately settling for fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 25-year-old threw a personal best of 67.02m, just five centimetres short of a bronze medal.

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Sweden’s Daniel Stahl took the gold with a throw of 68.

90 from countryman Simon Pettersson (67.39) and Austria’s Lukas Weisshaidinger (67.07).

“I have never thrown that far in training, so I’ll put that out there,” Denny said.

“To be so close to making so much history really hurts. But it was fun.

“I hit it and I knew it was good. I knew it was better. To know I was just off and see that four – fourth sucks. It was less than a beer can. I definitely need a gin or two after this.”

While Denny might have been disappointed by fourth, it represents the best finish ever by an Australian male at the Olympics in discus.

And it’s a result that gives him a lot of confidence for the future.

“All these boys are so much bigger than me,” he said.

“When I was younger, 19 and 20, going over there, I felt smaller than them. Now, when I saw everyone and I started the competition yesterday, I didn’t feel that anymore.

“I have always felt I belonged but now it was like, we’re on.”

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