EUGENE -- American Valarie Allman took an early lead and withstood a challenge from world champion Laulauga Tausaga to win the women's discus at the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field.

The victory earned Allman her third Diamond League trophy.

“I was able to do curls with two, and now the third one, I gotta come up with something new,” she joked.

Allman, who has largely been the class of this event in the world this year, looked every bit the part from the outset, whirling her first throw of the meet out to 68.66m/225-3 to set the early tone.

VICTORY for American Valarie Allman!@vallman123 ends her season with the Diamond League title in the women's discus throw. ?

?: @nbc & @peacock | #EugeneDL pic.twitter.com/P8Osf7GeOd

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 17, 2023

It was an early effort not dissimilar from her at the World Championships last month, when she led early with a 69-meter throw before Tausauga stunned her late in the competition for the gold medal with a four-meter personal best.

And Tausauga seemed hardly fazed by Allman's early lead here, and it showed. In the third round, the 25-year-old moved into second place with a throw of 68.36m/224-3.

But unlike in Budapest, Tausauga wound up fouling her final three throws and could not usurp the lead from Allman.

“I think this year, it’s been bittersweet in a lot of ways," Allman said. "I really wanted to be world champion. That didn’t happen, but I wanted absolutely to walk away as being known as the best in the world. While maybe I don’t have that title, hopefully my body of work shows that I am the top person this year.”

Sandra Perkovic of Croatia finished third with her opening throw of 66.85m/219-4.

Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands, who won the NCAA title while competing for the University of Oregon, finished fourth in her return to Hayward  with a throw of 66.03m/216-7.