Valerie Adams talks to the press in Monaco (© Philippe Fitte)
Despite all her successes, New Zealand’s Valerie Adams gave out a warning to the rest of the top women shot putters around the world that she’s still hungry to add more honours to her portfolio on Friday (15).
Speaking ahead of the 2013 World Athletics Gala in Monaco, Adams said: “I believe in myself and I believe there is more to come.
“I want to get stronger, faster and I want to get a personal best,” she added.
Adams had surgery recently, to remove a bone fragment at the base of her ankle, and hasn’t thrown since her trip to the hospital theatre but is targeting her third IAAF World Indoor Championships gold medal, after winning in 2008 and at the last edition in 2012.
“I’m recovering pretty well; I’m a fast healer. But you know athletes are stubborn and impatient, and I’m the worst patient,” she said with a smile on her face having slightly belatedly realised her pun.
“My goal is the World Indoors but I’ll have to make a late decision, it could be as late as the week before.
The World Athletics Gala provides Adams with a rare opportunity to meet the World record holder for her event, Nataliya Lisovskaya, who will be inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame.
“I’ve met her once before, in Rieti. However, we haven’t really discussed our event, we are two different people with two different statures,” reflected Adams.
Lisovskaya’s World record of 22.63m has remained untouched since 1988 but came in an era when, despite the former Soviet Union athlete regularly coming out on top including at the 1987 IAAF World Championships and 1988 Olympic Games, there was tough competition at the sharp end of the women’s Shot Put.
By comparison, Adams dominates her event like no one else in the last 50 years.
“You can’t compare what happened in the 1980s with now, but it would be nice to have some competition. At least Christina (Schwanitz) and Michelle (Carter) threw over 20 metres this year, and Christina threw a big PB in Moscow.
“Some competition would be good because I’m winning some competitions by over a metre.”
If Adams delivers on her promise to keep improving, then the likes of Schwanitz and Carter and the rest will have to raise their game even more to close the gap, although that maybe just what Adams wants in order to spur her closer to the 22-metre line.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF
