Athletics: More retrospective success for Dame Valerie?

Nadzeya Ostapchuk was disqualified for a positive doping test, and Valerie Adams was awarded the shot put gold medal at the London Olympics.

Dame Valerie Adams' victorious shot put streak is set to extend from 56 to 107 internationally-ranked finals.

Speculation suggests the career of her one-time Belarusian rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk will be further tarnished by another doping ban.

The Athletics International newsletter has reported Ostapchuk's results from August 2007 to August 2008 have been annulled. Those would be added to disqualifications between August 2005 and August 2007, and August 2008 to August 2012, when she "won" and was subsequently outed as a cheat at the London Olympics.

The IAAF is considering extending her ban to cover that entire block.

According to Finnish athletics database Tilastopaja, Adams' reign would therefore super-size to 107 titles.

The span between her losses would extend to eight years, nine months and 17 days from September 17, 2006 to her fifth placing at the Paris Diamond League meet on July 4, 2015.

Earlier this month the Herald reported the streak might grow from 56 meets — between August 2010 and July 2015 — to 95.

If the IAAF applied the broader ban, Adams' achievement would be on a par with American 400m hurdler Edwin Moses, who was invincible in 107 finals from September 2, 1977, in Dusseldorf until June 4, 1987, in Madrid. His stretch between defeats was nine years, nine months and nine days.

Adams' tenure would place her behind Romanian high jumper Iolanda Balas, who was estimated to have between 154 (Track and Field News) and 180 (New York Times) straight wins in the 1950s and 1960s.

Further retrospective success would increase Adams' global titles from nine to 10.
Ostapchuk consistently beat Adams across the 2010 season, including ending the New Zealander's previous winning streak at the world indoor championships in March in Doha.

If a backdated ban was imposed on Ostapchuk's disgraced career, it would present Adams with another bittersweet sporting moment.

She suffered the indignity of "losing" to Ostapchuk at the London Games. Adams accepted silver, but eventually received gold at a ceremony in Auckland when the Belarusian's cheating was exposed.

As a 19-year-old at her maiden Games in Athens she missed the top eight and the opportunity for three more throws. Four of those ahead of her have since received doping bans.

If Ostapchuk was handed more punishment, those 51 extra "wins" would further cement Adams' legacy as one of the world's greatest field athletes. It remains unclear whether she could seek compensation for the financial losses incurred over defeats.

Other New Zealand sporting streaks

1. Rowing: Eric Murray and Hamish Bond went 69 international races, 24 regattas and eight seasons without defeat in the men's coxless pair, culminating in consecutive Olympic golds.

2. Rugby: Auckland's 1985-93 Ranfurly Shield reign set the standard for professional rugby before its time. They defended the Log o' Wood 61 times before Waikato prised it away.

3. Cricket: Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum became the first cricketer to play 100 consecutive tests from debut in the opening match against Australia at Wellington in 2016.