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Rio 2016: Christoph Harting wins discus gold

Ross DunbarAugust 13, 2016

Christoph Harting has followed in the footsteps of his brother Robert to claim Olympic discus gold. The 26-year-old threw a personal best to land a surprise win while compatriot Daniel Jasinski took the bronze.

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Christoph Harting Rio 2016 Olympia
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F.Robichon

There's an Olympic discus winner called Harting once more but this time it's Christoph, who has matched his older brother Robert's feat from London 2012,

With Robert watching on from the stands, the younger Harting threw 68.37m on his final throw of a sun-soaked morning in Rio de Janeiro to clinch his first ever Olympic medal in his first Games. Christoph is six years Robert's junior and has largely spent his career in the shadow of the 31-year-old from Cottbus, who was one of Germany's biggest medal hopefuls.

But Robert's throw of 65.50m wasn't enough to qualify and he told German media about his struggles with a back injury. Christoph stepped into the limelight and secured another gold for the Harting family.

Bochum-born Daniel Jasinski claimed bronze for the Germans while Piotr Malachowski won silver for Poland. The Polish thrower led for most of the competition before Harting stepped up with the throw of his lifetime.

While Jasinsk told German broadcaster that this was "the performance of my life", Harting was a little less effusive, refusing several interview requests before saying: "I don't like to answer questions. I'm not a PR person. I do not look for publicity."

Harting becomes Germany's seventh gold medalist of the Rio Games following success in rowing, equestrian and shooting.