Newly-crowned Asian champion Vikas Gowda finished a creditable fourth in the ninth leg of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League athletics series in Paris. Gowda hurled the iron disc to a distance of 64.45m in his third attempt at Stade de France on Saturday night.
He was second after third round but slipped to fourth after a foul throw in the next round. Germany’s Olympic and world champion Robert Harting won gold with 67.04m in still wind conditions which did not provide much help to the throwers. London Olympics silver-medallist Eshan Hadadi of Iran finished second (65.53m) while 2008 Beijing Olympics winner Gerd Kanter of Estonia grabbed the third position (65.30m). Gowda had won gold in Asian Championships in Pune last Thursday with a best throw of 64.9 0m.