Tokyo Olympics: Valerie Adams wins Diamond League event ahead of fifth Olympics

Valerie Adams has received a massive boost ahead of the Tokyo Olympics winning the shotput at the Diamond League meet in Stockholm.

In her first meet in the series in three years, the 36-year-old who is ranked 15th in the world, beat seven rivals who are ranked ahead of her with a best throw of 19.26 metres.

Adams threw 25 centimetres further than her closest rival in European indoor champion Auriol Dongmo of Portugal who finished second.

Her coach Dale Stevenson said Adams had a few nerves leading into the Stockholm event after three years since competiton in an international meet.

"Really happy with that. We got what we needed to out of it. Firstly she needed to get back into competitive shape and then get back into the rhythm of doing it at the top level again."

"We've got another month until we have to be right on the day. As far as execution under press goes we were a little bit shaky. Val was nervous a little bit nervous by her own admission. It's different. We've been pretty much domestic competitions for the last couple of years. To step it up and come back onto the stage that she has known so well is probably just reassurance that she's doing ok to do it more than anything new."

Stevenson said she has had to adapt her throwing as she looks to secure a third Olympic title after golds in 2008 and 2012.

"We've had to make adjustments largely around the construction of her body. Her body is not the same at 36 as it was 16 or 26 so we're dealing with a slightly different puzzle," Stevenson said.

She's still got some pretty incredible gifts but she's been hampered by niggles over a two decade long international career as an athlete. Handling that and adapting the way that she throws to be stable and handle the pressure that comes with generating the kind of force you need to win an Olympic gold medal is the major part of the problem we're trying to solve."

Adams has another event in Poland next week before she heads to Japan for her fifth Olympics.