Vancouver native Kara Patterson fell short Wednesday in her quest to reach the finals at the World Track and Field Championships.
Patterson finished 21st among 28 competitors in the qualifying round of the women’s javelin event at the meet in Daegu, South Korea. Her best mark among her three throws was 187 feet, 6 inches.
The top 12 finishers from the qualifying round advance to the finals.
Patterson, a Skyview High School graduate, is the four-time reigning U.S. champion and the American record-holder in the event. But she has struggled this season, recording a 2011 best of 205-11 — well off the American record of 218-8 she set in 2010.
Christina Obergfoll of Germany led Wednesday’s qualifying with a throw of 225-7 in her only attempt. American Rachel Yurkovich was 15th with a mark of 193-1.
