KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's world champion Valerie Vili finished second in the shot put at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart today (NZT), losing by 5cm to Nadzeya Ostapchuk, of Belarus.
Vili, who entered the competition on a wild card, led after the first round with 20.06m effort, improving to 20.40m in round three before Ostapchuk sealed her victory with her third-round 20.45m.
Vili won the world championship with 20.54m, 6cm better than Ostapchuk, in Osaka, Japan, last month.
This is the third year in a row that Vili has finished second at the world athletic final, being beaten by Ostapchuk in 2005 and Natallia Khoroneko, also of Belarus, last year.
Vili won US$20,000 ($27,500) for her effort today.
Meanwhile, Beatrice Faumuina finished fifth in the discus throw with 58.68m, collecting US$5000. This is Faumuina's best placing at a world athletic final, having finished seventh in 2003 and sixth in 2004.
World champion Franka Dietzsch of Germany won with 62.58m, retaining her title.
Faumuina won the 1997 world championship discus.
- NZPA
