KEY POINTS:
Valerie Vili is on target for gold at the Beijing Olympic Games after adding the world indoor shot put title yesterday to the outdoor title won in Osaka last year.
Vili rocked the other seven competitors in the first round in Valencia, throwing the shot put out to another Oceania and New Zealand indoor record of 20.19m.
This bettered her record of 19.72m set in the qualifying rounds.
Vili had a further throw over 20 metres, 20.07m in round three, followed by 19.68m in round four and 19.89m in the sixth and final round, giving her the luxury of having three throws that would have won gold.
Arch rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus, second to Vili at the outdoor championships, was second again with 19.74m. Meiju Li of China was third with 19.09m in the final round.
A delighted Vili, who received US$40,000 ($50,430) for her performance, said she was very happy.
"Second time at the world indoor champs, 20 metres twice, can't complain with that," she said.
"The competition was very tough, a very good one, I have had a good time.
"I'm happy competing in facilities like this, we don't have anything like this in New Zealand," she said.
"I feel really glad and satisfied to have come and taken part in this competition, now I must go on and get ready for the Olympic Games."
Vili was keeping her plans for Beijing close to her chest.
"I have goals set with my coach for the Olympic Games which is a totally different competition."
Ostapchuk said she was very disappointed with her performance.
"I was ill, I had a bit of a fever. This is not a good result for me because I was the indoor leader. I usually get the gold medal, but today I had problems and made mistakes," she said.
The world indoor record is 22.50m set by Helena Fibingerova of Czechoslovakia in 1977.
Tamsyn Lewis of Australia caused a boilover in the women's 800m final with a surprise victory in 2m 2.57s, beating Teliana Petlyuk of Ukraine (2m 2.66s) and seven times world indoor champion and defending title holder Maria Mutola of Mozambique (2m 2.97s). Lewis' move was stunning, passing Mutola on the inside as Mutola moved out to block Petlyuk.
Lewis said that she couldn't believe that she had won. "This is such a good surprise." Russia's Yelena Soboleva set a world indoor record of 3m 57.71s in the 1500m.
