Athletics Australia – News – Adams confirms

Dual Olympic shot put champion Valerie Adams (NZL) has today been added to entry lists for the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge on Saturday 22 March 2014.

Set to compete at Lakeside Stadium within weeks of attempting to defend her title at the IAAFWorld Indoor Championships in Sopot (POL), the inclusion of Adams further bolsters the line-up for Australia's only IAAF sponsored track and field meet, with world champions LaShawn Merritt (USA, 400m) and David Oliver (USA, 110mH), as well as our own IAAF World Championships medallists Sally Pearson (Qld, 100mH) and Kim Mickle (WA, javelin) already confirmed as starters.

Adams is arguably the greatest female shot putter in history, with her resume missing only the world record.

Bursting onto the scene with a 16.87m throw to win her first major international crown at the 2001 IAAF World Youth Championships, the 29-year-old has gone on to claim the world junior  title in 2002, four consecutive IAAF world crowns in2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013, IAAF World Indoor Championship victories in 2008 and 2012, the Commonwealth gold in 2006 and 2010 as well as World Cup success in 2006 and 2010. 

She is also one of only two women, the other being Tamara Press (USSR), to have won two gold medals in the women's shot put at the Olympic Games. 

Her trophy cabinet also includes a fourth world championships medal (bronze, 2005), a silver at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships, bronze from the 2002 Commonwealth Games and five consecutive medals, including two gold, from the World Athletic Finals between 2005 and 2009. 

"It's been a while since I last threw in Melbourne, and I have some pretty great memories from the 2006 Commonwealth Games there and other events at Olympic Park following that. It's such a great city and I'm pretty excited to be getting back," Adams said.

"This will be my first chance to throw at Lakeside Stadium, the new venue that you guys have, and I'm looking forward to it. From what I've seen in photos it looks like a pretty impressive venue."

Adams opened her season at the International Track Meet in Christchurch (NZL) last weekend, with the dual Olympic champion hurling an impressive 20.19m to take victory in resounding fashion. 

Her performance improves on the 20.02m throw she opened her 2013 campaign with at the Sydney Track Classic last year, highlighting her strong return from a rehabilitation program that followed surgery toward the end of last year. 

"I have had a deliberately slow start to the season this year because I have been recovering from surgery and making sure that I get my rehab right. I'm starting to feel like I am coming into form though and I am now looking towards more success on the athletics circuit this year," Adams added.

"People around the world don't really understand the importance of the Commonwealth Games to athletes from places like New Zealand, and of course Australia, so I'm keen to carry some strong form into that event so that I can win gold. It's a fair way off but I am beginning to track as I would like to make sure that I'm in as good a form as possible come Glasgow." 

Athletics Australia will continue to announce the confirmed international contingent for the Sydney Track Classic (15 March) and the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge (22 March) in the coming weeks. 

The second and third instalments of the 2014 Australian Athletics Tour, the twoevents pit Australia's best athletes against a bounty of competitors from across the globe as they continue their push for selection to the Australian team for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

The 92nd Australian Athletics Championships will close out the 2014 National Athletics Series on 3-6 April, with the event doubling as the Selection Trial for the Commonwealth Games. 

For more information on the 2014 National Athletics Series, incorporating the Australian Athletics Tour, please click here. 

To purchase tickets to the Sydney Track Classic or the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge, please follow this link to the Ticketmaster website.

 

Athletics Australia – News