Athletics: Queen B carries our hopes

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Six years after her stunning win in the discus at the world championships in Athens, Beatrice Faumuina is back to spearhead the New Zealand team at the ninth world track and field championships in Paris.

In the intervening years, 28-year-old Faumuina has experienced the highs and lows of competing at the highest level.

She won gold at successive Commonwealth Games, finished 12th at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, fifth in defending her world title in Seville in 1999 and missed the 2001 championships in Edmonton through injury.

Now she is back and close to her best as she showed in winning at a pre-championship meeting in Evry last weekend with a throw of 63.59m - her best in Europe this season.

Ranked in the world's top six, Faumuina could again grab a place on the podium on Tuesday morning (NZ time).

She is one of three New Zealanders who will compete on the opening day at Stade de France when she contests the qualifying rounds early on Sunday.

Melina Hamilton will be in early action with the qualifying rounds for the pole vault also scheduled for Sunday morning. Now over the injury which hindered her preparation, Hamilton could, if she goes close to her 4.40m personal best, make Tuesday's final.

Adrian Blincoe, a late addition to the team, will run the glamour 1500m. He will line up in the heats on the first day buoyed by a 3m 57.41s in the Emslie Carr Mile in London a couple of weeks ago. A top run could get him into the semifinals.

Craig Barrett steps out in the 50km road walk on Wednesday night on a loop course starting and finishing in the stadium. Anything close to his 3h 48m 05s best would get him a top-10 finish and help erase memories of non-finishes in Kuala Lumpur (1998) and the 2001 world championships.

Valerie Adams has her qualifying rounds and final of the shot put on the same day as Barrett heels-and-toes his way around the streets of Paris. Almost certainly the youngest in her event, Adams could make the top 10. It would be no surprise if she improved on her 18.93m best.

She managed 18.5m in winning at last weekend's warm-up meet.

James Dolphin claimed a late start in the 200m with a personal best 20.71s at a meeting in Switzerland and will also be a member of the 4x100m team, which will likely include

Chris Donaldson and Dallas Roberts.

The fourth spot is still up for grabs. They will be pushed to advance beyond the heats.

Michael Aish can be sure of a tough time in the 10,000m, where the African runners are sure to feature.

He might also run the 5000m.

Gabrielle Gorst (20km road walk), 400m hurdler Rebecca Wardell and Matthew Slade, who will contest the straight 400m final for elite athletes with a disability, are the other members of the New Zealand team.