World champion Haruka Kitaguchi won the women's javelin with her season-best throw of 65.21 meters at a Diamond League athletics meet Friday in Monaco.
The Paris Olympics gold-medal hope for Japan made the distance on the last of her six throws, defeating Australian runner-up Mackenzie Little' season's best by 0.47.
It was Kitaguchi's eighth career victory on the circuit and second this season. She was in second place before her final throw.
"I gave it my all for the last one," the 26-year-old said. "I managed to go out there without being too intense. I was able to throw 65 meters. That's one big thing. I hope to throw well in London (at another Diamond League meet) before the Olympics."
Latvia's Anete Sietina rounded out the podium with a 59.58-meter throw.
Among other Paris-bound Japanese competitors, Nozomi Tanaka was third in the women's 5,000 meters won by Kenya's Margaret Akidor.
Tanaka had a season-best time of 14 minutes, 40.86 seconds. Akidor clocked a personal-best 14:39.49.
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