KEY POINTS:
It was Sir Murray Halberg to whom the remark is attributed that Valerie Vili is on track to one day become New Zealand's greatest athlete.
Halberg knows about these things. After all, it was his running mate, Peter Snell, who was named New Zealand's athlete of the century.
This was another strong year for the Auckland shotputter. She won the Commonwealth Games with - in shotput terms - daylight to spare.
Her best throw was 19.66m, a Games record. Her weakest effort was still better than the rest. If revenge is a powerful motivator for the 22-year-old, she'll have enjoyed her night.
Nigerian Vivian Chukwuemeka won gold at Manchester four years ago, Vili having to settle for the silver medal. This time, Chukwuemeka was a distant second, with a best of 18.25m.
There was a silver medal at the IAAF world final in Stuttgart in September, where Vili biffed the ball 19.64m. All her throws were over 19m, but Belarussian Natalya Khoroneko won it with a 19.81m effort.
To round things off, Vili won the World Cup of Athletics in Athens a week later with 19.87m, ahead of Russian Olga Ryabinkina. Her growing status was emphasised by her being named one of the Oceania team captains in Athens.
At 1.94m and about 120kg, Vili is an imposing figure. At a pre-Commonwealth Games function for the athletics contingent, she dominated a room of impressive physiques.
Golfers talk of the third round being moving day, when they position themselves for a crack at the big prize on the final day. Next year will be Vili's moving year as she prepares for the Beijing Olympics.
After a disappointment at the Athens Olympics, Vili has announced to her rivals that she is on their heels.
Her best this year was 20.20m at the national champs in Christchurch. That would have been gold in Athens.
New Zealand's greatest? It's a big call but the signs are good.
