Valerie Vili launches her World indoor title defence in Doha (© Getty Images)
Head to head confrontations are what the sport thrives on and the showdown between World No.1 Nadzeya Ostapchuk and the Olympic and defending champion Valerie Vili appears to be coming nicely to the boil ahead of tomorrow afternoon's final.
Ostapchuk, who produced the longest throw for 22 years indoors or outdoors with a monster 21.70m at the Belarussian Indoor Championships last month, drew first blood.
The first athlete to throw this morning she launched the put out to 20.09m, way beyond the 18.50m automatic qualification mark. It was quite a statement.
Vili, was the ninth thrower up and comfortably achieved the standard for the final with the shot bouncing off the plastic matting at 19.81m.
Yet there is no doubt the mighty New Zealander - who boasts the longest unbeaten streak in global athletics and has not been defeated since, ironically, Ostapchuk beat her at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final - faces a mighty challenge to preserve that incredible unbeaten record.
Ostapachuk was satisfied with her efforts and said: "I did it with my first throw. Job done. My shape is there, we will have all six throws so I can attack and (take a) risk. My goal is clear, to win."
Vili was also under illusions as to the size of her task in the final.
"I know there are tough competitors and perhaps a 21m throw would be needed to win," said Vili.
The rest appear to be in the battle for bronze.
Five other women needed just one attempt to advance. Romania's European Indoor bronze medallist Anca Heltne was the third longest qualifier with 19.10m. Meanwhile, China's World bronze medallist Lijiao Gong achieved 18.87m.
Ostapchuk's Belarus team-mate Natallia Mikhnevich, the Olympic silver medallist, registered 18.67m and the US champion Jillian Camarena-Williams posted a season's best 18.85m. Russia's former European Junior champion Anna Avdeyeva also took the minimum amount of time to qualify with a 18.53m first round effort.
In the second round two other women progressed to ensure a nine-women final.
World outdoor silver medallist Nadine Kleinert of German followed an opening round foul with 18.77m and Cuba's Misleydis Gonzalez, the 2007 Pan American champion, hurled the shot out to 18.51m - 0.01 beyond the automatic qualification standard.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
