Adams would have been satisfied with her effort in Poland as she demonstrated palpably that, even at 36, and having had two children during this Olympic cycle, she remains a red-hot medal contender in Tokyo. A shift to Christchurch at the start of the year to team up with crack throws coach Dale Stevenson had been a key ingredient in what most believe will be her final season at this level. The veteran athlete’s third-round toss of 19.75m bettered the 19.65m she mustered for victory at the Sir Graeme Douglas International meet in Auckland at the end of February. That had been the furthest she had thrown the 4kg shot in nearly five years.
Dame Valerie Adams.
Photo: Photosport
Dame Valerie added almost one metre on to her season s best and four times surpassed the 19m mark with her best effort matching the world indoor lead of Portugal s Auriol Dongmo.
She has shown small incremental improvements in her three previous competitions this year but on Saturday she took a giant leap forward.
The 36-year-old mother-of-two matched her season s best of 18.68m with her first effort before launching the 4kg metal ball to 19.65m in round two - her best effort since she threw 19.75m in August of 2016 in Germany.
In the zone, Adams then powered the shot out to 19.31m in round three.
Press Release – Athletics New Zealand
Dame Valerie Adams surged back to her vintage best this evening as she lit up the Sir Graeme Douglas International in Auckland by unleashing a world-class 19.65m to register her longest throw for five years.
In a brilliant return to form, Adams added almost one metre on to her season’s best and four times surpassed the 19m mark with her best effort matching the world indoor lead of Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo.
Adams has shown small incremental improvements in her three previous competitions this year but today she took a giant leap forward.
The 36-year-old mother-of-two matched her season’s best of 18.68m with her first effort before launching the 4kg metal ball to a mighty 19.65m in round two – her best effort since she threw 19.75m in August of 2016 in Germany.
Eddie Osei-Nketia and Tiaan Whelpton
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Sir Graeme Douglas International meeting at Trusts Arena in Waitakere is another important outing in Olympic year with the event carrying World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze level status, which has the highest points on offer in the Oceania region.
Those athletes without guaranteed qualifying marks can still gain an Olympic entry through world rankings.
The respective match-ups between sprinters Eddie Osei-Nketia and Tiaan Whelpton, and shot put kings Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill, have been the biggest storylines this summer and each is set to go head-to-head again on Saturday.
In the male sprinting battles this season, Whelpton sprung an upset by prevailing over Osei-Nketia at the Potts Classic last month, while Osei-Nketia was back in the winner s circle at the Christchurch International Meeting over 200m and then again in the 100m at the Porritt Classic with a scorching 10.28 - his fastest ever legal 100m time in New