Valerie Adams started as she means to go on in her opening event of the European season in Rome yesterday.
The defending world and Olympic champion heaved the shot 21.0m in the Diamond League meet, to comfortably see off China's Lijiao Gong (19.72m) and regular rival, Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus, who only managed 19.58m for third.
It was a meeting record and extended her world best performance for the year.
She began with throws of 19.61m, 19.85m and 20.04m before her fourth throw did the trick, just 21cm short of her personal best 21.24m from last year's worlds in Korea. Adams rounded her event off with a 20.86m. Five of her six throws would have won the competition. Adams next has the New York Diamond League meet on June 9.
It is a busy weekend for New Zealand athletes, both those going to the London Olympics and other striving to make it. Beijing Olympic 1500m silver medallist Nick Willis, is in the Bowerman Mile at the high-profile Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, later today, which is the fourth round of the Diamond League.
