Athletics: Faumuina wins mixed opener

It rated among the lowest of low-key international meetings but Beatrice Faumuina wasted no time in showing she remains firmly on course for a third Commonwealth Games discus gold.

In a day of firsts, Faumuina, 31, easily won her competition at the Athletics Bendigo pre-Commonwealth Games meet in sweltering conditions.

"It is the first time I have competed in 40 degrees," said Faumuina. "It is also the first time I have thrown in mixed competition against men."

Her winning 61.58m - with her last of six attempts - was the best of the combined competition with her nearest female rival, England's Kara Nwidobie, a long way back at 54.06m.

With her calves strapped as a precaution after scares in her most recent competitions, Faumuina opened with an encouraging 58.59m and continued to improve throughout.

"The strapping was there more for support," said Faumuina. "This was just what we wanted. I got through without any injury concerns and got in another competition."

In her last outing - the Australian championships in the first week of February - she managed only one throw (60.20m) before calling it quits and walked away nursing a strained left calf muscle.

A week earlier, at the New Zealand championships in Christchurch, she managed all six throws but left QE II Park with a sore right calf.

There were no such signs here.

Coach Debbie Strange left Bendigo happy.

"We got what we were looking for but it is a different situation than we had four years ago in Manchester when we were in the middle of a European season," said Strange. "This competition shook out all the cobwebs."

Another from the Strange stable, javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar, was an interested spectator taking the role of video camera operator as Faumuina went through her paces.

The pair give Strange a strong hand following Farquhar's winning effort at the international meeting in Melbourne last Thursday.

"It's the first time I've had two athletes at one Games," said Strange. "I'm confident they will produce very good efforts."

With Valerie Vili already rated a winning chance in the shot put, New Zealand has a strong hand in throwing events and with it the chance of triple gold.

"I can see three golds at one meeting," said Strange. "Whether it will be here, we will have to wait and see."

In other events on a restricted programme, the men's 4x100m relay team of Matt Brown, David Falealili, James Dolphin and James Mortimer beat a Nigerian combination with a winning 39.43s.

That effort satisfied Athletics New Zealand performance manager Eric Hollingsworth but left him still puzzling his Games' selection.

"It was okay but not as fast as the 39.23s a different combination [which included Chris Donaldson but not Brown] ran for third in the Thursday meeting.

"They started alright but a couple of the baton changes could have been better," said Hollingsworth. "We have to keep working before making a final call on the final four."

Decathlete hope Brent Newdick, who promises to be close to the medals, got through a satisfying day with a solo 14.91s 110m hurdles and a third placing in the long jump with his 7.29m best.