Mother of all challenges for Adams
Dame Valerie Adams’ fifth Commonwealth Games selection was a little bit different to the first four.
The event’s reigning shot put champion was included in a
15-strong team for the Gold Coast yesterday, despite the fact that she hasn’t competed since finishing second at the Rio Olympics 18 months ago.
Adams set her sights on the Gold Coast in the immediate aftermath of Rio, but didn’t compete in
2017 while pregnant with her first child - she and husband Gabriel Price welcomed Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price in October.
A return to full-time training followed in December, and she now has her sights set on winning a medal in April.
Adams praised her mother-inlaw, Noma Price, for the help she had provided in looking after Kimoana. ‘‘If it wasn’t for her, this
"Being pregnant has been awesome, having my baby has been fantastic. She's ... taught me so much in life that I never knew." Valerie Adams
would haven’t been possible, I would have had to take up looking after her,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s awesome to have that opportunity once again, but it doesn’t mean I don’t miss her. I miss her so much when I’m at training, but it works out.’’
Reflecting on the past year, Adams said it had been ‘‘awesome’’.
‘‘Being pregnant has been awesome, having my baby has been fantastic. She’s awesome, she’s taught me so much in life that I never knew, I’m keeping on learning. She’s definitely given me a good sense of balance now.’’
Adams is set to return to competition at the national track and field championships in Hamilton in mid-March, an event she must take part in in order to secure her place for the Commonwealth Games, which begin in the first week of April.
There, she will be chasing a fourth gold medal, and a fifth overall (the other is a silver) but she hasn’t got any future plans at present. The Commonwealth Games are all Adams is focusing on right now, but she still hasn’t ruled out a fifth Olympics appearance in Tokyo in 2020.
‘‘My brain isn’t that well functioning to focus on anything else,’’ she said.
‘‘I’ve got a baby at home, I’m training here, this here, this there. I’ve basically got to focus on the Commonwealth Games and whatever happens after that happens.’’
Adams has been back training with new coach Scott Goodman for seven weeks, and has had a busy schedule so far.
‘‘It’s not like a slow buildup,’’ she said.
‘‘We’re just doing everything we can, trying to fit everything in, so we can be the best we can be in a couple of months time.
‘‘It’s not a lot of time to prepare
for these Games.
‘‘I don’t think anybody’s come back so quickly to a championship after having a baby, but I’m giving it my best shot.
‘‘It took some adjusting at the start, but we’ve got a routine now, which is working out quite well.’’
The Gold Coast games are a bit of a double-edged sword for Adams.
On one hand, they’re just a short hop across the Tasman, making it easy for her family to stay close, but on the other hand, they’re earlier in the year than they would be if they were in the northern hemisphere, prompting her rushed return.
In a final analysis, however,
their proximity to New Zealand wins out.
‘‘It is a home games for us, so hopefully there will be more supporters there, and it’s great that we have a big team going over. Hopefully, this will be a great experience for all the newbies coming into the team.’’
Adams is a leader in an athletics contingent which includes 10 Commonwealth Games debutants, for whom she had a bit of advice.
‘‘Stick to your own programme and don’t get caught up in all the fluffing around at the Commonwealth Games, because it can be quite tiring.
‘‘The village life is great, but it can be quite distracting.’’