Vita Barbić wins silver at World Junior Javelin Championships

Croatian athlete Vita Barbić has won a silver medal in the javelin throw at the World Junior Championships held in Eugene. She achieved a throw of 56.60 meters, narrowly missing the gold medal which was won by Egypt's Abde Hamid with a throw of 59.82 meters.

This silver medal marks Barbić's first world medal. Previously, she placed fourth at the championships in Lima two years ago. She also holds two European titles in the under-18 and under-20 categories. Her achievement is the sole medal for Croatia at this year's World Junior Championships and the 17th overall in the history of the competition for the nation.

Barbić's success in Eugene makes her the second Croatian female athlete to win a world junior medal in javelin, following Sara Kolak, who won gold at the same event in Eugene in 2014. For the 19-year-old Barbić, there is little time to celebrate as she immediately travels to Birmingham to compete in the European Senior Championships.

This competition presents another significant opportunity for the young Croatian talent, who, within days of winning a world junior medal, will now test her skills against Europe's top senior athletes.