World Athletics Championships: Vikas Gowda qualifies for discus final

Beijing: Vikas Gowda qualified for the final round of the men's discus throw event with a modest effort of 63.86m on the sixth day of the World Athletics Championships here on Thursday.

Gowda, the reigning Asian champion and Asian Games silver medallist, finished fourth in Group A qualification round to make the finals to be held on Saturday. His effort put him at seventh rank among those who have qualified for the final.

The 32-year-old United States-based Indian, whose national record stands at 66.28m, achieved his best mark of the day on his first attempt itself and then hurled the disc to 63.84m before fouling his third and last qualification round throw.

Gowda is competing in his third World Championships and had finished seventh in 2011 and 2013. Fedrick Dacres of Jamaica led the qualification round with a throw of 65.77m, followed by Polishman Piotr Malachowski (65.59m) and Estonia's Olympic bronze medallist Gerd Kanter (64.78m).