Gumboot glory for golden girl Valerie

SHE has two Olympic golds and a silver, and now Dame Valerie Adams has added New Zealand gumboot throwing champion to her accolades.

Adams is in Palmerston North this weekend for the New Zealand Rural Games, and despite having never owned a gumboot before, let alone try to hurl one across a field, she yesterday tried her hand at the championship competition. The result? She beat the title holder, fell about metre short of setting a new record – she even qualified for the world champs in Europe.

Organisers had hoped Adams would smash the New Zealand women’s gumboot throwing record of 34.45m set at last year’s Games and come close to the world record of 49.25m. But the sporting legend came up short in the wet and muddy conditions.

Adams, who was at the Games as a Toyota ambassador, said she’d brought in the national men’s champ – decathlete Brent Newdick – to hone her technique.

"From the time I got down there, there was a lot of pressure for me to compete in the gumboot throw," she said. "This morning I spent some time with decathlete Brent Newdick, who’s the New Zealand men’s gumboot champion, checking the technique.

"Shotput style was hopeless. It’s very much closer to throwing a discus.

"The first warm-up throw, I scared myself a little bit because I almost hit someone in the crowd. Then I took my competition throw and I discovered I was the national champion! Now I’m qualified for the World Gumboot Throw Champs in Estonia!

"I have never owned a pair of gumboots in my life, much less thrown any, so it was quite a surprise to find I was national champion."

Not content with taking on rural all-comers in the gumboot throw, Adams also competed in the cowpoo throw: "That was very interesting," she said drily.

Fellow Olympian Mahe Drysdale took part in the men’s gumboot event but didn’t manage to beat the regulars.