Athletics: Vili 'over the moon' with bronze medal

Valerie Vili is a picture of intense concentration as she competes in the world athletics championships at Helsinki. Picture / Reuters

Shot putter Valerie Vili has her sights on Monaco, Melbourne and Beijing after winning bronze at the world athletics championships in Helsinki yesterday.

The 20-year-old South Aucklander took the bronze in the Finnish capital with a throw of 19.62m.

Nadezhda Ostapchuk, of Belarus, won the event with a throw of 20.51m and the silver went to Russian Olga Ryabinkina with 19.64m.

Vili's throw was a little shorter than her qualifying effort the previous day - an Oceania record and personal best of 19.87m.

Relaxing after her win, Vili said she "threw the best I could".

It was tough competition, but she was aware she was up among the leaders as she prepared for her third throw.

"When I went into my last throw I knew that I had won a medal, and it was a bronze.

"I wanted to go on and give it my best shot for the silver. But that didn't happen, but, you know, I walked away with the bronze medal and that was fantastic."

She described the feeling as "totally awesome - I'm over the moon".

Vili plans to return to New Zealand, do "some more work" and training, and return to Europe for the World Finals in Monaco in three weeks.

"I'll come back home and prepare for that."

Vili says she's looking "for sure" to next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne . She would be "maintaining what I'm doing now, getting better and stronger".

"Beijing will come, I'll be there, I'll be there ready to roll."

Athletics New Zealand performance director Eric Hollingsworth said it was a "fantastic effort".

"It's immaterial she's a couple of centimetres down on what she did [on Saturday]. She competed well. She almost took the silver, and she showed the real joy of someone who's got her first championship medal. I'm sure it will be the first of many."

Vili was fifth at the 2003 world championships in Paris when, as Valerie Adams, she threw 18.65m. At the Athens Olympic Games last year she was eighth with 18.56m.

She threw a national record this year of 19.52m at Rio de Janeiro in May, and recently threw 19.73m at an unofficial meet in Spain. That distance was bettered by just three others this year.

In Helsinki, Vili had an anxious start after touching the lip of the throwing circle rim and fouling her first attempt.

Needing to be in the top eight going forward for a final three throws, Vili nailed the third attempt with 19.62m.

Going into the final round she gave it everything to try to bridge the 2cm required for the silver, but came up with 19.62m again.

Her series was: x, 18.23m, 19.62m, 19.33m, x, 19.62m.

Vili said that coming to Helsinki, she was sure that she would make the final.

"The goal was the top eight and the second goal was a medal. I don't care what colour the medal is, getting one was the most important.

"In the final I didn't think of placings. My goal was just give everything out in each throw. I just wanted to throw as far as I could."

The 2001 world youth champion and the 2002 world junior champion said that the medal had given her a lot of confidence.

"I think I have a lot in front of me. Maybe I'm at my best in Beijing.

"I am happy with the end result and able to put New Zealand on the medal count. I'm a very happy Kiwi."

Vili's coach, Kirsten Hellier, said she could not be happier.

"It was a matter of keeping her head on after qualifying with three records. The final was a brand new day, and it was back to square one, and Valerie did the business."

Team manager Ken Simpson said he was rapt with the result.

"I had the Vili hug and it felt like I had two or three broken ribs.

"I've managed teams to three world championships, and to get a medal has put the icing on the cake."

It is the first medal at a world championship since New Zealand's only other medal, Beatrice Faumuina's discus gold in Athens in 1997.

Meanwhile, in the men's marathon, Scott Winton finished 28th in 2h 19m 41s and Jonathan Wyatt 43rd in 2h 23m 19s.

Japan won the World Marathon Cup, with Kenya second and Ethiopia third.

- NZPA