Athletics New Zealand – News – Valerie Adams easily qualifies for shot put final and decathlon day two

RUSSIA – 14TH IAAF World Athletic Championships, Moscow – 10/18 August 2013
Valerie Adams easily qualifies for the final of the shot put

It was a job quickly done for Valerie Adams in qualifying for the final of the women’s shot put. In the first attempt Adams effortlessly sent the 4kg ball of steel out to 19.89m. It was then a pack up and an exit from the Stadium, not stopping for any interviews through the mixed zone.

Adams is now poised to become the only woman to have won four world titles outdoors which would give her a decent claim to being the discipline’s greatest exponent ever. The final is tomorrow at 8.25pm (4.25am Tuesday NZ time).

Adams had two warm up throws both well over the qualifying standard of 18.70m. It was then a quick chat with her coach nine times Swiss shot put champion Jean-Pierre Egger across the track before sitting down to await her turn as number 12 to throw in group A. Only Evgeniia Kolodko of Russia with 19.55m and Lijiao Gong of China with 18.88m bettered the qualifying standard from Adams' group. From group B Michelle Carter of USA with 19.76m and Christina Schwanitz of Germany with 19.18m met the 18.70m mark.

Day Two of the Decathlon
Brent Newdick maintained his 20th position in the decathlon with a solid performance in the opening event on day two, the 110m hurdles, in 15.19s (-0.2) for 827 points. After six events Newdick is sitting on 4882 points.
Ashton Eaton consolidated his lead in the competition with a 13.72s clocking to take his total to 5513.

Newdick fouled his first throw in the discus, but was out to 41.22m in round two and improved to 42.49m (715 points) in his final attempt. He holds 20th place with his total after seven events of 5597.

In the pole vault the three times New Zealand pole vault champion was successful at his first attempt at 4.30m and passed at 4.40m. He missed first up at 4.50m, but easily cleared at his second attempt. Newdick passed at 4.60m and came back in with the bar at 4.70m failing to clear in his three attempts at this height. For his 4.50m he received 760 points for a total of 6357 to remain in 20th position.

Into the penulimate event the javelin throw and Newdick who has a personal best of 64.09m and a season's best of 59.18m was out to 54.37m improving to 57.30m in round two. His final throw was 56.90m. He gained 697 points taking his total to 7054 and dropping to 23rd overall.

The final discipline the 1500m was run in 4m 38.54s by Newdick giving him 690 points and a final score of 7744, his 15th best tally, for 23rd place. Ironically he was 23rd at the 2009 world championships and he was 19th at the 2011 world championships.
“That’s good I’ve qualified for the Commonwealth Games,” was Newdick’s reaction on hearing his final score.

“I would have liked a little bit better, but the goal was to qualify for the Commonwealth Games so that’s out of the way now so it means there’s no pressure on next year. There is always positives in everything,” said Newdick.
The weekend however was not without its negatives as Newdick explained.
“There must have been something going around our camp, I had this horrible little tummy bug, it never affected me physically and not even mentally but it’s just been a hassle all weekend, so I think it just dragged some of the energy – I was zapped,” he said.
“But it’s hot out there and it’s the decathlon – who knows what it was, but it made it just hard work.”
He latter said that it may have been the result of something he had eaten at the hotel.
“Everything was just off so if you take 20 points off everything you are back on PB form,” he said.
“I’ve only had four weeks training, who would have thought six weeks ago that I’d be here competing.”
The Commonwealth Games silver medallist said the high jump personal best on day one was the result of shedding body weight when he was laid off injured for four months.

“I’m four or five kilos lighter and with a lighter body weight the high jump is an easier event to do.” So it’s back to the training for the Commonwealth Games next year and a goal he has of 8300 points.

Murray McKinnon
Athletics Correspondent
Athletics New Zealand
murray@mckinnon.co.nz

 Athletics New Zealand – News