Valerie Adams is a colossus in the world of athletics and in New Zealand sport. She has won back-to-back Olympic gold medals and, now, four successive world championship titles in the women's shot put.
That is an achievement unmatched by any shot putter, and Adams is also only the second woman to win four back-to-back championship titles and the first in an individual event.
Such are her achievements that debate has began about whether she is New Zealand's greatest sports person yet, about whether her achievements match or even surpass those of New Zealand's acknowledged champion of the 20th century, Peter Snell.
Comparing eras is hard because circumstances change so much. How, for example, does one line up Colin Meads with Richie McCaw?
Judging across sports, as happens every year with the Halberg Awards, is also difficult and controversial. How does a world-topping achievement in a minority sport with participation limited to several nations compare with achievements in football, basketball, golf or tennis?
How does one rate individual sports against participation in team events? Often, too, given cultural considerations, there is more depth to men's sport than the women's equivalent.
It should be acknowledged women's shot put is not one of the glamour events in the Olympic track and field programme or the World Championships.
Unless the winner comes from your own nation, most casual followers of sport will take far more interest in the major track races than, say, the hammer throw or shot put.
The chances are most of Adams' wins will have received little coverage outside New Zealand. It is in the prestige events where the stars become known around the world. Nevertheless, track and field is the foundation of the ancient and modern Olympics.
The pyramid to the very top has a broad base of girls and boys all around the world competing in millions of school and community sports events.
It is for that reason Adams' achievements seem on a higher plane internationally than the phenomenon of rowing's Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, unbeaten since 2008, four consecutive world championships, one gold medal so far and constantly blitzing the field.
Peter Snell, of course, won his three Olympics golds in two of the highest profile and most competitive of events. Traditionally, only the 100m men's final outstrips international interest in the 1500m, which he won with ease in 1964 at Tokyo. There, he also won the 800m, the first Olympic middle distance double for 44 years. Snell ran in the amateur era and he broke world records. He retired at only 26, and the World Athletics Championships only began in 1983.
Adams is still only 28 and has much in front of her. She has been denied world records because of the blatant drug era, particularly among the East German and Soviet Union ''women'' shot putters.
But, given her determination and her dedication, a third successive gold medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics seems a distinct likelihood.
There is no doubting, though, that Snell's golds were in events of special significance to New Zealanders given the Jack Lovelock, John Walker, Arthur Lydiard tradition. They had, and continue to have, a big impact on this country.
That remains very hard to top. Perhaps, though, it needs a few more years and more perspective before judgements can be made. Perhaps, it is simply unfair and impossible to make reasonable comparisons.
