Athletics: Valerie Adams fifth at world champs

Auckland thrower Valerie Adams produced New Zealand's best result of the world athletics championships to date when she finished fifth in the shot put final in Paris today.

Adams, 18, threw 18.65m with her second attempt to finish almost 2m behind winner Svetlana Krivelkova of Russia, who recorded 20.63m.

The effort in Adams' biggest competition of her career was 28cm off her personal best.

"I was ranked 12th or 13th and the winner threw more than 20m. I was looking for a pb but it didn't happen. Hey, I'm still fifth in the world," last year's Commonwealth Games silver medallist said.

Adams' creditable result improved a forgettable day for the New Zealand contingent after walker Craig Barrett was disqualified from the 50km walk.

The Hamilton walker, no stranger to heartbreak at the elite level, was ruled to have used an incorrect technique three times inside the opening 6km of the race.

He was shown a red flag by on-course judges at the 5.5km mark, forcing a shocked Barrett to pull out of the race. He had previously been given two warnings.

New Zealand manager Tony Rogers said Barrett, 31, was "utterly dejected" at the judges' decision, saying his technique had rarely been a problem in a career stretching more than 10 years.

Rogers said the last time Barrett was disqualified from a race was at a World Cup event in the Czech Republic six years ago.

"We can't quite fathom what has happened here, I'm afraid it's just a case of judges giving their subjective ruling and there's nothing we can do," Rogers told NZPA.

"Craig is utterly dejected at the moment."

Barrett was well placed at the time of disqualification, in a group of eight just a small gap behind the leading group of seven.

The silver medallist at last year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Barrett is best known by many for his dramatic collapse with dehydration within sight of a gold medal at the Kuala Lumpur Games four years earlier.

His best effort this year was a second placing at a grand prix meet in Mexico where his time of three hours 51 minutes 15 seconds was excellent in testing conditions.

The most devastating thing for Barrett was that today's race was an ideal opportunity to qualify for next year's Olympic Games in Athens. His next chance may not come until a World Cup event in May.

"That has probably not hit him yet, there was a lot at stake today," Rogers said.

He was to return home and compete in a 10km event next week but Rogers doubted whether Barrett's heart would be in it.

Meanwhile, sprinter James Dolphin produced a stunning personal best before being ousted in the 200m quarterfinals.

His time of 20.69 seconds in the first heat was good enough for fourth place. The top three from all eight heats automatically qualified, along with the next eight fastest athletes.

But he couldn't improve further on his heat time and finished last in his quarterfinal.

Aucklander Dolphin's previous best of 21.23sec was lowered to 21.10sec and then to 20.71sec in Belgium two weeks ago, a result that earned him a late berth in the New Zealand team at the world championships.


Adams said she had butterflies in her stomach at her first senior world championships at the imposing Stade de France, but was satisfied with her effort.

"I didn't throw as far as I wanted to but it was tough competition out there," she said.

"I'm quite happy, fifth place in the world in my first open championship.

"I wanted to make the top-eight and anything above that was a bonus."

Adams said today's effort would be a huge boost for her chances at the Olympic Games in Athens in a year's time.

"It's such a higher level of competition with the Europeans, it's a totally different level.

"It was a big learning curve and I hope I do better next time.

"I know what to expect now, I know what the competition's like."


Women's shot put final result


1. Svetlana Krivelyova (Russia) 20.63 metres

2. Nadezhda Ostapchuk (Belarus) 20.12

3. Vita Pavlysh (Ukraine) 20.08

4. Irina Korzhanenko (Russia) 19.17

5. VALERIE ADAMS (New Zealand) 18.65

6. Krystyna Zabawska (Poland) 18.62

7. Nadine Kleinert (Germany) 18.48

8. Assunta Legnante (Italy) 18.28

9. Elisangela Adriano (Brazil) 18.11

10. Lieja Tunks (Netherlands) 17.99

11. Meiju Li (China) 17.92

12. Irini Terzoglou (Greece) 17.88

(NM no mark)


- NZPA