Athletics: Vili bows to Ostapchuk again

New Zealand's Olympic shot put champion Valerie Vili again had to bow to the superior form of her major rival at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting in England today.

Vili was forced to settle for the silver medal in the face of the record-setting Nadezhda Ostapchuk, of Belarus, the third successive time the European has outperformed the reigning world champion.

After ending Vili's 2-1/2-year winning streak at the indoor world championships at Qatar in March, Ostapchuk again bettered the New Zealander at the second Diamond League meet of the season at Shanghai in May.

Their paths did not cross again until today at Gateshead where Ostapchuk established a meet record of 20.57m, well clear of Vili's first and best throw of 20.06m. The bronze medal was won by Germany's Nadine Kleinert with 19.01.

Ostapchuk's superiority could not be denied as she landed the two biggest throws of the competition, passing Vili's opening effort with throw of 20.23m to break Germany's former Olympic and world champion Astrid Kumbernuss's 13-year-old meet record of 20.12m.

The 29-year-old Belarussian's winning put came in the next round although Villi had another good attempt, peppering the 20m marker with a throw of 19.98m.

- NZPA