Valerie Vili needed just one chance today to qualify as the top thrower for the Olympic shot put final.
She made seizing her spot in the Olympic shot put final look effortless as she heaved the 4kg orb 19.73m, almost 30cm further than anyone else during this afternoon's
qualifying round.
The south Auckland 23-year-old effort was well over the 18.75m mark required to make the final, due to start at 1.10am (NZ time). She gave two thumbs up to her coach, Kirsten Hellier, then trooped off back to the athletes village to relax for the day and prepare for the biggest competition of her life.
The world champion was competing in the second of two groups which threw in circles side by side in Beijing's Birds Nest Stadium.
One of her chief rivals, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, was in the first group and threw at virtually the same time as Vili. Ostapchuk, of Belarus, looked as relaxed as the New Zealander and only needed one of three attempts to reach the qualifying mark too with a throw of 19.08m, the sixth-best.
Ostapchuk has the season's best throw, 20.98m. Vili, who has not competed in a major competition since the world indoors in March, has thrown 20.13m this season and has a personal best of 20.54m.
The second and third-placed throwers were from China, both making personal best efforts to the roaring delight of the local crowd. Gong Lijiao was second behind Vili with 19.46m and Li Meiju was third with 19.18m. Fourth was the second-ranked Belarusian, Natallia Mikhnevich, with 19.11m. She has thrown 20.70m this season.
Ostapchuk said afterwards that she was happy with her performance.
"It's fine and not hot today, which contributed to my performance," she said. "The conditions in the morning are better than at night, because at night it will make the athletes feel sleepy."
Ostapchuk said she believed Mikhnevich was a very strong athlete and said she was looking forward to the final.
"I believe the final will be worth watching."
