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LONDON – With the throw of a discus, Krishna Poonia of India made history on Saturday night.

Poonia, 35, became the first woman from India to advance to the finals in discus, an event that has been in the Olympics since 1928, but has not had strong representation from the huge country.

“There wasn’t really anyone before me,” she said of female discus throwers in India.

India has produced medal winners in badminton and shooting at the London Games, but not yet in track and field. In addition to Poonia, Team India has competitors in distance running and race walking and a handful of women in different throwing and jumping events.

Poonia, who has a 10-year-old son, holds down a job at Indian Railways.

She began throwing in college in India, she said, and her husband competes as a hammer thrower. “After my son was born,” she said, “I took it up again.”

She earned a bronze medal at the Asian Games in 2006 and another bronze in 2010. She competed in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but did not make it to the final.

“It’s much better than last time,” Poonia said. “Last time I didn’t qualify for the final, and today I am in the final and came in seventh place. It’s good for me.”

Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic won the gold medal in women’s discus on Saturday, Russia’s Darya Pishchalnikova won silver and Li Yanfeng of China won the bronze.

Poonia’s personal best is 64.76 meters, and she threw 63.62 meters on Saturday.

She said she was eager to reunite with her husband and son.

“I know they’re watching back in India,” she said.