Olympic champion Valerie Adams signals 'big announcement'

New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams during the Women's final at the Olympic Stadium during the 2012 London Olympics. Photo / Brett Phibbs

By RNZ

Two-time Olympic shot put champion Dame Valerie Adams is expected to announce retirement from international competition on Tuesday.

Adams who won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012 also won a silver medal at the Rio Olympics and bronze in Tokyo last year.

At her fifth Olympic Games, Adams was the New Zealand team's flagbearer for the Tokyo Olympic Games closing ceremony, a moment she said at time meant a lot to her and her family.

"One day when my children Kimoana and Kepaleli understand what their mum does I hope they will be just as proud of this significant moment too," she said.

Following her showing in Tokyo, Adams said she hoped she could show other mums what was possible.

Valerie Adams hugs her baby daughter after competing in the women's shot put in the Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Photo / Greg Bowker

"I hope to continue to inspire female athletes all around the world that if you want to have a kid and you want to come back and be at the top of the world, you can, you can absolutely do that and today's a testament to that."

Adams is also a four time world champion.

The 37-year-old issued a statement saying she would make a "big announcement" on Tuesday in which she is expected to draw the curtain on a 20-year career at the top level.

In the 2017 New Year Honours, Adams was named a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, Adams switched coaches in an attempt to shake things up in her training.

She began being coached by Dale Stevenson, who also coached men's champion Tom Walsh.

Valerie Adams, the New Zealand Flag bearer leads the NZ Commonwealth Games Team into Celtic Football Park for the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo / Greg Bowker

The new programme meant Adams travelled to Christchurch for up to four days a week from her Auckland base.

Adams also took on a coaching role of her own, guiding younger sister Lisa to the Paralympics in Tokyo last year.

Lisa won gold in the F37 shot put.

Immediately following Adams' fifth Olympics she would not be drawn on whether Tokyo would be her last, saying she wanted to settle back into life before making a final call.

Adams is also a three-time Commonwealth Games champion and had hinted she might try to make it to the 2022 Games in Birmingham before retiring.