Valerie Adams' world title doubts

Valerie Adams gestures to her coach in between throws during the women's shot put fianl at Hampden Park on Wednesday night during the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. 30 July 2014 New Zeala

Valerie Adams' pursuit of a fifth world championship shot put title is in doubt, with a decision on whether to press on to Beijing next month expected in the next 72 hours.

Double Olympic champion Adams has been battling in her return to the throwing circle this month after a lengthy layoff to recover from double surgery on her right elbow and left shoulder.

In four events, Adams has finished fifth, first - in a lower-key event in Lucerne - second and, yesterday, fourth at Stockholm in Diamond League meets.

Her manager, Nick Cowan, admitted yesterday that Adams' involvement in the world championships in Beijing on August 22 is "up for review".

He said Adams was reluctant to throw if she was not at 100 per cent.

Cowan said that although Adams was in good spirits, her return to top flight competition had been "more challenging than was anticipated".

"[Stockholm] wasn't her best performance, it wasn't in line with how we thought things would track and it probably added a few things up for us, so those discussions are what to do from here - push on or come home," Cowan said.

This season's Diamond League circuit has been dominated by German Christina Schwanitz, who is the runaway leader, and will end Adams' run of four league crowns in Zurich early in September.

Adams' monumental successive winning streak, which began in August 2010, was ended at 56 victories in Paris.

Since then she's gone from being the standard setter to one of the chasers - a role she hasn't occupied since before her first Olympic gold in 2008.

And while passing up a chance for another world title would not sit comfortably with Adams, the bottom line is tailoring everything to a third straight Olympic gold medal in Rio next year.

"This year was always a risk but we knew we had to take it to be ready for Rio," Cowan said.

"We had to give it a crack to be able to put some sticks in the sand. It's all about Rio for her, and always has been."

She has one other lead-in event for the worlds, in Poland on August 8, if she decides to stay the course to Beijing.

Cowan said that although Adams seeks counsel from those around her, ultimately it's her call whether to turn up in Beijing.

Despite events not going to plan, Cowan said Adams had been getting her head around being beaten by athletes she'd bossed in recent years.

"It's never easy for anyone to be so dominant, then in front of all those competitors you'd been dominating, swallow that tough pill.

"She's now got to take a deep breath and work pretty hard in the coming months."