Valerie Adams

Gold Coast will be Dame Valerie's fifth Commonwealth Games. She has three gold and one silver medal from previous Commonwealth Games since her debut at Manchester in 2002. She also has two gold and one silver medal from the Olympic Games.

Dame Valerie has been the dominant women's shot putter in the world since 2006, unbeaten in major world events during 2006-2014 and having an unprecedented winning streak of 107 competitions during that period. She was the IAAF world female athlete of the year for 2014.

She finished second at her last major competition, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and is now on the comeback trail after having her first child in October 2017.

Dame Valerie has won 15 New Zealand shot put titles and was the Halberg Sportswoman of the year award seven consecutive years from 2006-2012. She has also been awarded the NZOC's Lonsdale Cup in 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2014.

She competes for Pakuranga Athletic Club has been coached by Scott Goodman since the retirement of Jean-Pierre Egger in 2016. She has a personal best throw of 21.24m.