With a New Zealand flag hanging off her massive shoulders and her baby daughter in her arms, Valerie Adams could not be happier.
The 33-year-old Commonwealth Games shot put silver medallist was seemingly oblivious to the 35,000 fans at Carrara Stadium on Friday as she stared longingly at baby Kimoana,the biggest gold medal of them all.
Jamaica's Danniel Thomas-Dodd had just spoiled the fairytale story of Adams becoming the first athlete to win their event at a fourth successive Commonwealth Games with a personal best and national record of 19.36 metres.
Dame Valerie Adams hugs her baby Kimoana after competing in the Women's shot put in the Carrara Stadium during the Commonwealth Games.
"It was a great fight," a teary-eyed but smiling Adams told reporters. "Danielle deserved to win out there. It was a great competition and I am honoured to wear the fern again."
The silver medal was still Adams' fifth in succession at the Commonwealth Games. She won silver at her first in Manchester as a teenager in 2002, then gold at the next three.
Adams only began training for the Games in December, after giving birth to Kimoana in October last year.
She was far from her best on Friday but says she has been "getting better and better".
"I didn't realise the challenges I would face coming back. I didn't know what to expect. The only thing I did know was that I wanted to give this a good crack," she told Reuters.
"Six weeks ago I was struggling to crack 16 metres so I must give massive bumps to my coach Scott Goodman. He has been nothing but phenomenal."
"This gives me encouragement to keep living the dream I have got. I don't know what I'm going to do next," she said.
"I can't be selfish anymore. It's not just me. I have to take my husband and child into consideration.
"(But) I've been in this sport for over 20 years and that right there (Kimoana) is my biggest gold medal."
