Valerie Adams put a difficult year behind her to retain the Commonwealth Games shot put title in emphatic fashion today.
Adams put together a magnificent sequence of throws 20.47m, 20.39m, 20.08m, 20.31m. 20.44m, 20.14m to utterly dominate the 12-strong field and win New Zealand's second gold medal of the games.
The New Zealander, who turned 26 last month, was well ahead of second-placed Cleopatra Brown of Trinidad and Tobago, who threw 19.03m. Jasele Satupai provided Samoa with a rare medal when she threw 16.43m for third.
Adams, the world and Olympic champion, changed coaches earlier this year and has found herself being consistently beaten by arch-rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk.
However she looked confident and in sharp form tonight, even threatening to approach her seasons best of 20.86m.
Afterwards Adams was overjoyed with the result.
Im very happy with that result, she said. It was a great finish to the season. Im stoked with how consistently I threw.
Its good to finish the season on a good note.
She was pleased to have also claimed the games record with her huge first throw.
I have to thank the folks back home for their support and patience through a long year of ups and downs, she said.
Also at the track today, Monique Williams looked sharp in advancing through the first round of the 200m sprint. Williams won her heat easing up in a time of 23.61s.
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