Val sends message to Olympic rivals
Double Olympic champion Dame Valerie Adams had to choke back the tears as she reflected on a throw heard round the world at the Sir Graeme Douglas International athletics meeting in Auckland last night.
Adams produced her best throw in nearly five years to win the women’s shot put with a second-round effort of 19.65 metres that left her battling the emotions afterwards as she reflected on a result that she hopes sends a clear message to her rivals eyeing medals at the Tokyo Olympics.
The 36-year-old four-time world champion unleashed a stunning series of throws, surpassing the 19m mark in four of her six attempts and with her best effort being the furthest she has thrown since August of 2016. She described it as a performance that would silence ‘‘the doubters’’.
‘‘I’m just really ecstatic . . . I’m getting emotional,’’ said Adams after the victory at Trusts Arena in West Auckland. ‘‘It’s like a post-two babies PB for me. I haven’t thrown this far in over three years and to come back into the shape I’m used to and executing the throw I’m used to is actually quite exciting.
‘‘A lot of people doubted me when I took this road to go to my fifth Olympics, but I never doubted myself. This just makes me being in Christchurch so much worth it and being away from my family and children.
‘‘I’m just so happy, and to have good backups right throughout the whole competition, how consistent it was, it felt great, and it felt easy. But I know there is so much more there.’’
Adams’ series was 18.68m, 19.65m, 19.31m, a no-throw, 19.14m and 19.36m. Maddison Wesche finished second with a season’s best of 18.12m.
Adams reflected on the last time she had been over 19 metres when she threw 19.31m in Monaco in 2018.
‘‘This was after Kimoana was born. She wasn’t 1 yet. I threw one time over 19 metres after spending four weeks in Switzerland. That was a great day for me, then I came back and got pregnant and had Kepaleli and all that.
‘‘It’s great. I knew what the feeling was and know what it feels like to throw well and execute a throw. It was a matter of taking the time. We’ve done so much work with Dale [Stevenson] the last few months. It’s been nit-picky and all the rest of it, but it’s all paid off.’’
And Adams hoped her performance in Auckland sends a clear message to her rivals for Olympic medals in Tokyo later this year.
‘‘This is making sure they know I’m not out of the game, that I’m still in the thick of it and looking forward to great competition against them.’’
It was a great night for Stevenson’s Christchurch squad at Trusts Arena, with former world champion Tom Walsh snapping a four-meet losing skid at the hands of Kiwi rival Jacko Gill in the men’s shot put.
Walsh came from behind to snatch a notable victory with a season’s best 21.60m in the fifth round. Gill had held the lead with a second-round toss of 21.05m and looked headed for a fifth straight victory over the Olympic bronze medallist until Walsh put it together with his penultimate throw.
‘‘I probably didn’t do it how I wanted to do it, to be completely honest, but it definitely felt good to be able do it in the fifth round under pressure and get one out there past him. I hate losing, so it was good,’’ said Walsh afterwards, sporting a ‘Space for Rent’ T-shirt after recently being dropped by his apparel sponsor.
He had thrown big in the third round, but fouled the attempt, and said that had given him belief that a winning effort was in his arsenal.
‘‘That was a good confidence-booster for me to know I was in that kind of shape,’’ said Walsh. ‘‘I knew if I let it go and attacked the throw I could do that again. I kind of got close with that fifth-round throw but it blew through my hand. It was still far enough to get the job done.’’
Gill finished second with a fifth-round throw of 21.44m.