(Writes through adding details)
* Officials re-measure bronze medal throw post-competition
* Heidler promoted from fourth to third
* China appeal rejected
* Former doper Lysenko takes gold
LONDON (Reuters) - Former doper Tatyana Lysenko of Russia
won the women's hammer gold with an Olympic record throw of
78.18 metres on Friday but officials were left red-faced after a
measuring mistake that caused confusion over the bronze-medal
position.
Lysenko, who won the world championship title last year,
beat the old Olympic record of 76.34 set by Askana Miankova in
Beijing with her first throw of the night, 77.56m, then improved
it with her fifth.
Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland took silver with 77.60 and
China's Zhang Wenxiu was initially awarded her second successive
bronze before Germany's Betty Heidler was promoted to third
following a mix-up over the measurement of her fifth throw.
Officials said that although world record holder Heidler's
fifth effort was electronically measured it had not been entered
into the data system. She was allowed to re-throw, fouling, and
was unable to get past Zhang with her sixth attempt.
Zhang, in third place at that point, went into the final
round thinking she had the bronze medal. She failed to improve
but draped herself in a Chinese flag and did a lap of honour.
However, when officials found Heidler's mark in the grass
from her fifth throw it was manually remeasured at 77.13,
beating Zhang's 76.34, so the German was awarded the bronze.
Chinese officials immediately appealed against the decision,
causing the medal ceremony to be postponed until Saturday.
After more than three hours of deliberation the IAAF
atheltics ruling body, decided the result would stand, noting
that the electronic measurement of Heidler's throw had been
discovered and adjusting her third-place distance to 77.12.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)