TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese star Haruka Kitaguchi fell short in her women's javelin title defense at the world athletics championships on Friday, failing to advance from her qualifying group at Tokyo's National Stadium.

The 27-year-old Paris Olympic gold medalist was unable to produce her best in front of the home crowd in just her third meet since returning from an elbow injury that kept her sidelined for two months.

Needing to clear 62.5 meters or finish among the top 12 from the two qualifying groups, Kitaguchi threw 60.38 meters with her furthest attempt, well short of her Japanese record of 67.38, to place eighth in her group and 14th overall.

"My run-up felt really good, but I wasn't able to put everything together well with my technique," a tearful Kitaguchi said. "I felt like I could have thrown a little further, so it's frustrating."

The Hokkaido native received a rousing reception during introductions at the Tokyo Olympic venue, and she made a positive start by clearing 60 meters as the first athlete to throw.

She went only moderately further with her second throw and managed just 58.80 on her third and last attempt, after which she slumped in her seat, resigned to missing the final.

"I rushed my throw for the first time in a while," she said of her last attempt.

Despite her tears, Kitaguchi sounded a positive note speaking to the press after the competition.

"I don't think my life is over just because I didn't make it to the finals," she said. "I was so happy to see a stadium full of spectators in Japan."

Kitaguchi became the first Japanese woman to win a senior world championship in a throwing discipline in Budapest in 2023. She emerged as one of Japan's stars of the Paris Games the following summer, securing the country's only athletics gold and becoming its first female Olympic champion in a field event.

Japan's Momone Ueda threw 60.49 to finish 13th in qualifying, with Serbia's Adriana Vilagos advancing to Saturday's final in first place with a throw of 66.06.

Athletics: Defending Olympic, world champ Kitaguchi out of women's javelin