'Devastating result' as Aussie medal fancy Mackenzie Little melts in javelin final

Reigning world championship bronze medallist Mackenzie Little from Australia has been eliminated from the women's javelin final after a "devastating" performance in the first three rounds.

Little, who struggled throughout the final, finished 12th and could not surpass her opening throw of 60.32 metres, well short of her season's best of 66.12.

Fellow Australian Kathryn Mitchell also fell short of the podium. Despite her efforts, Mitchell managed a season-best throw of 62.63 metres to place her seventh.

FOLLOW LIVE: Paris 2024 day 15

READ MORE: Olympic medallist disqualified after 'ridiculous mistake' in keirin

READ MORE: Dramatic five-runner photo finish decides 100m hurdles gold

Little entered the Olympics ranked second in the world and had recently won the Diamond League in London with a throw of 66.12 metres.

Despite that strong lead-in performance, her final throw at the Stade de France was just 59.41 metres, leaving her in 12th position.

"She's going to be more than disappointed, it's a devastating result," former Olympian Dave Culbert said in Nine's commentary.

"She has been in great form, came in and had a personal best in London, free of having to work and do all those things."

Mitchell reached her fourth consecutive Olympic final, with previous finishes of eighth in London 2012 and sixth in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event streaming ad free, live and on demand with 4K on Stan Sport.