Athletics: Vili's winning streak ends

Valerie Vili is not going to lose any sleep over her long winning streak being broken at the world indoor athletics championships in Qatar yesterday.

"Competition is competition and today was not my day," New Zealand's reigning Olympic champion said after settling for a silver medal at Doha behind her long-time rival, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, of Belarus.

"It [defeat] just makes you more hungry for the next competition.

"A couple of years ago it was always me behind Ostapchuk, then we kind of swapped positions and now she's coming back again. Ostapchuk was ranked No 1 and I knew the fight was going to be pretty difficult.

"But I knew that I walked away giving it 110 per cent, so I mean you can't ask for more," she said. "I came away with a personal best indoors and I'm pretty happy with that."

Vili, the defending indoor world champion and last beaten in competition in September 2007, hurled a best throw of 20.49m with her fifth and penultimate effort.

Ostapchuk bettered that with her own fifth throw of 20.68m and extended her lead with a final 20.85m, both championship records.

The bronze was won by another Belarusian, Natallia Mikhnevich, with 20.42m.

Vili thought that she had it in round five.

"But the competition is not over until the sixth round and Ostapchuk came through.

"On the fifth round I took the lead and I tried to keep fighting until the competition was over, but she took the win and it was her day and not mine," said Vili.

Ostapchuk had opened the competition with an impressive 20.24m. Vili followed as the next thrower but responded with a red flag then Mikhnevich registered 20.42m to take a shock first round lead.

With her second throw Ostapchuk was a little over-exuberant and slipped out of the front of the circle, appearing to roll her ankle.

Vili responded by launching the metal ball out to 20.45m to move into top spot and the medal positions did not change in round three, although the way Vili held her head in her hands after a 20.41m effort suggested she thought there was more to come.

The competition exploded into life in round five when Ostapchuk promoted herself from the bronze to the gold medal position with a mighty 20.68m, 0.13m better than the championship record set by Russian Irina Korzhanenko in 2003.

Vili responded with her best of 20.49m but time was running out for the New Zealander and in the final round Ostapchuk, 29, gave herself more breathing space as she powered the shot out to 20.85m.

Vili had to settle with 20.29m and the longest unbeaten streak in the sport, covering 28 successive final victories, was over.

On the track, New Zealand runner Adrian Blincoe just missed making the final of the 1500m. Blincoe, who was in the fastest of the three heats, finished fifth in a time of 3m 40.50s.

He ran an indoor personal best, but needed to run 3m 40.04s to make the final.

- NZPA