Olympics: Ancient Olympia beckons athlete

New Zealand's young shot-put star Valerie Adams faces the exciting prospect of making her Olympic debut next year in the same stadium where the Games began 2800 years ago.

The International Olympic Committee yesterday approved the proposal by Athens Olympics organisers to stage the men's and women's shot put in ancient Olympia on August 18.

Athens 2004 president Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki hailed the "historical decision" to promote Olympia as part of the "uniqueness and authenticity of the Olympic Games of Greece".

Adams' coach, Kirsten Hellier, had mixed views on the decision.

"I think it is amazing. Historically you can't compete with the venue, but logistically it will be a challenge because it is 300km or 400km away from the other [Olympic] venues," she said yesterday.

"So there will be a whole string of issues, such as getting accommodation and my access to her [Adams]."

Hellier is hoping that she will be accredited among the athletics coaches in the New Zealand team at the Olympics, so she can have access to the competition and training venues, but coaching accreditation numbers are restricted for Athens.

Although Adams, 19, has not yet been officially selected for the Olympics, Hellier said she had achieved the qualifying standard five times - including the throw of 18.65m which earned her fifth place at the world championships in Paris in August.

New Zealand Olympic team chef de mission Dave Currie and three fellow officials are to visit Olympia next week.

A team spokesman said they would see whether organisers would provide accommodation for shot-put throwers in Olympia. If not, the New Zealand team would try to find suitable accommodation so no New Zealand thrower had to travel from Athens on the day of competition.

Olympia hosted the ancient Games every four years from at least 776BC until they were banned in 393AD by the Roman Emperor Theodosius, who denounced them as a pagan festival. The Games were revived in Athens in 1896.

- NZPA