Athletics: Vili keeps bettering her shot-put record

Valerie Vili. Picture / Tracey Grant

Valerie Vili has broken her New Zealand shot-put record again.

At an unofficial competition in Ferrol, Spain, she recorded 19.73m, a 21cm improvement on her national record set at Rio de Janeiro in May.

As part of Vili's European campaign leading up to the world championships at Helsinki next month, she and coach Kirsten Hellier struck trouble trying to compete in Ferrol.

They were told that the meeting was a regional one rather than national, and Spanish rules prevented international athletes from competing in it.

But the organisers allowed her to take part in an exhibition competition, which was run under international rules but was not be an official competition.

The 20-year-old Vili had an outstanding six throws, including 19.60m and 19.54m.

Her best distance now ranks her fifth in the world. Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus leads the pack with 20.93m.

Vili is also just 1cm short of the 21-year-old Oceania record of 19.74m held by Australian Gael Mulhall-Martin.

"The consistency of her throws combined with the fact that Val is suffering from an ear infection gives us both confidence leading into the next month's preparation," Hellier said.

Meanwhile, Beatrice Faumuina started her competition leading up to the world championships with a second in the discus at Thessaloniki, Greece, yesterday, recording a throw of 61.81m.

Competing in an IAAF grand prix meeting, the 1997 world champion was 83cm off the winning throw of Nicoleta Grasu, of Romania.

- NZPA