Field: Mum's the word as Bea waits it out

By PETER JESSUP

Beatrice Faumuina will spend the weekend with her mum Roini at a Sydney-resident aunt's home as she tries to get over the anxiety of waiting to compete.

The discus thrower is beside herself with thanks for the support from her mother, who threw in her job in computer training to be with her daughter since July.

"Thank goodness," Faumuina replied when asked if her mum, who often travels to her competitions, would be around.

"The waiting game is getting to me."

Faumuina has been training on the Sunshine Coast at Mooloolaba, and she and coach Les Mills are pleased they have found a reason why Faumuina's distances haven't at times been her best.

Video revealed she was too slow in the movement across the circle. She has been refining her technique to start slowly and coil up at increasing speed to improve her momentum.

Faumuina was relaxed and looking fit yesterday when she went to sponsors Reebok to thank them for support.

"We (her and her family) did this on our own and if we pull this off we're going to be very, very happy."

Faumuina threw 63.90 in a depleted international field in Brisbane at her last meet.

She would have liked the sort of regular competition the European favourites for the event organise regularly between themselves, but didn't want to do a lot of travelling, and feels somewhat disadvantaged by the cancellation of the women's discus at some recent IAAF meets.

"We've done all the strength work - now it's just a matter of waiting for Monday and hoping for a big one."

She has had two competition throws in Stadium Australia, both times encountering flukey winds that didn't help. Throwers like a head wind to give the discus height but Faumuina has mainly thrown with tail winds or no wind recently.

But she's positive? "Absolutely."

She is expecting anywhere up to 40 competitors at these Games, compared to 16 at Atlanta, and hopes her own performance is raising interest in the field events in New Zealand.

Despite the increase in the level of competition at the Olympics compared to the Commonwealth Games - where she won gold in 1998 - and despite the longer throws by Europeans in competition this year which has pushed the 1997 world champ down the rankings, she is upbeat.

"I'm happy with where I'm at. All those other distances are on paper - it's a matter of who does it on the day."