Athletics: Vili inching towards a bold Games effort

Valerie Vili, for the second time within three days, added 6cm to her New Zealand allcomers and resident shot put record.

The world athletics championship bronze medallist was out to 19.44m in the opening round at the North Shore Sovereign Stadium on Saturday.

In Hamilton on Wednesday Vili's winning performance was 19.38m, a 6cm improvement on her national title effort in Wanganui in March.

"I wanted to throw further than Hamilton, I'm pretty much happy with today's outing," said Vili. "Everything is in the right place for Melbourne.

"It is only the second competition of the season and there is a lot of competition fitness to gain," she added.

Vili's next competition will be at the New Zealand championships in Christchurch at the end of next month.

Beatrice Faumuina again found the conditions against her in a bid to secure a 60m-plus throw in the discus. The 1997 world champion and gold medallist at the last two Commonwealth Games was slightly down on her 58.97m throw in Hamilton, sending the discus out to 58.61m.

"The throwing conditions were worse than Wednesday," said Faumuina, who now looks forward to the Capital Classic meeting in Wellington on January 13.

Chris Donaldson continued his rapid return to top form, winning the 100m in 10.61s after 10.59s in the heats and the 200m in 21.09s.

"I'm stoked with the way things are going, I've just turned 30 and I'm at the best stage I've had for a long time."

Donaldson was delighted to have regained a burst of speed at the end of a race.

"I was coming on well at the end of the 100m tonight, something I had lost for the last few years."

National 100m and 200m champion James Dolphin decided to bypass the sprints and tackle the 400m.

The 22-year-old went out fast and although he tied up over the final 50m, scored a personal best time of 46.72s.

"My previous best was 47.12s, but there is no way I want to try and do the 400m at the Games, I will concentrate on the 200m.

"It has taken me 35 minutes to get up from that run. I was sick, had a massive headache and each time I went to stand up the headache sent me down again," said Dolphin.

Nic O'Brien edged closer to the Commonwealth Games target time of 50s in the 400m hurdles recording 50.60s, while James Mortimer had a head wind to contend with in his bid to make the Games in the 110m hurdles. Mortimer, needing a time of 13.85s, won in 14.30s.

Jane Arnott, chasing the Games 400m target time, won the 400m in 53.27s and the 200m in 24.05s.

Manchester Games silver medallists Craig Barrett and Philip Jensen won their respective events. Barrett, who has qualified for Melbourne in the 50km walk, completed the 20km walk in 1h 32m 7s while Jensen was just under 3m short of the target for the Games with a hammer throw of 65.74m.

Others in action and expected to be selected for Melbourne, were Chantal Brunner, with wins in the 100m in 11.99s and 6.09m in the long jump, Angela McKee, with 1.83m in the high jump, and Melina Hamilton over the pole vault at 4.00m.

Jess Ruthe clocked an impressive 15m 53.50s, heading in Nina Rillstone by just over a second in the 5000m. World mountain running champion Kate McIlroy was third in 15m 59.12s.

Stuart Farquhar, who needs a throw of 77m for the Games, won the javelin with a distance of 71.18m.