Valerie Adams celebrates winning at the 2011 Melbourne Track Classic (© Getty Images)
At this weekend’s New Zealand Championships, Olympic and World Shot Put champion Valerie Adams finished off her down-under competitive season with a New Zealand all comers and resident record of 20.54m on Saturday (26). It was Adams eleventh national title.
In perfect conditions in front of a bumper crowd Adams opened with 20.33m, fell out of the front in the next round with the record coming in her third attempt. This added 21 centimetres to her records set at the Auckland championships last month. Her national record set overseas is 21.07m.
“I came out today to try and break my own resident and all comers record; I’m really happy with my series, the best series this season, I’m pretty stoked to throw 20.54m today,” said Adams. “Competing in New Zealand is always hard to get out for, but hey man if I can do it here I can do it anywhere.”
Jacko Gill knocked off another world age best in the men’s Shot Put claiming the world best for 16 and 17-year-olds with the 6kg shot with his performance of 21.34m. This improved on his own 16yrs age best of 20.76m and bettered the 17yrs age best of 21.08m set by German David Storl in 2008.
On Friday (25) Olympic 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis was able to turn a training run into a New Zealand title win when he overcame the blustery cold conditions at the Caledonian Stadium to win the men’s 5000m in 14:34.32.
on Sunday (27) Stuart Farquhar, Commonwealth silver medallist at Delhi, collected his eleventh overall and tenth in a row national Javelin Throw title. Held in atrocious weather conditions Farquhar was still able to hoist the Javelin out to a respectable 75.47m.
Another Commonwealth Games silver medallist, in her case twice in Delhi, Nikki Hamblin completed an 800m (2:05.49) /1500m (4:29.76) national title double on the final day of the championships by winning the latter distance.
Athletics New Zealand for the IAAF
Click here for RESULTS
