Galt's Stephanie Brown Trafton won the gold medal in the women's discus today at the Olympic Games in Beijing with a 212-foot, 5-inch effort on her first throw.
Trafton's opening effort was enough to hold off Cuba's Yarelys Barrios, who threw 208-9 to win the silver medal, and the Ukraine's Olena Antonovia, who finished with the bronze with a 205-4 effort.
Brown Trafton's gold is her first title on the international level and gives the United States its first gold medal in the event since Lillian Copeland won at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. It also is the first U.S. medal in the event since Leslie Deniz won silver in 1984 in Los Angeles.
Trafton, 28, who didn't reach the finals in the 2004 Olympics, set the tone on her first throw and no one responded.
"I won a gold medal!" she told USA Track and Field. "I almost started to cry on the victory lap but I didn't. But I know I'll cry on the medal stand."
Jerry Trafton, her husband, got up early, arriving at his office at 3:15 a.m. to begin monitoring the discus competition on his computer.
He then spoke to his wife by phone.
"She was ecstatic," he said. "I knew she had a real good shot at it."
Stephanie Trafton's father, Steve Brown, spent the morning rejoicing at his West Sacramento residence.
"I'm very proud of her," Brown said. "I've thought for awhile she had a chance to do gold. It all comes down to the moment.
"We knew she had that potential since she was small."
Call The Bee's John Schumacher, (916) 326-5523.
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