Defending champion Valerie Adams is on track to win her third consecutive shot put title at the world athletic championships tonight (NZT) after easily qualifying for the final yesterday in Daegu, Korea.
Adams needed just one throw to secure her place in the 13-strong final, sending the shot out to 19.79m when a thrown of 18.65m was all that was required.
Her effort was the best of the qualifiers but almost a metre short of her season's best of 20.78m.
Her arch rival Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus also qualified with her first attempt of 19.11m to be fourth best behind China's Gong Lijao (19.21m) and Germany's Christina Schwanitz (19.20m).
The final gets under way at 11.40pm (NZT).
Decathlete Brent Newdick had a less than satisfactory championships, finishing 19th after amassing 7761, well below his personal best of the 8114.
Newdick went into the final three events of the second day, pole vault, javelin and the 1500m, in 19th and failed to make up any ground in the pole vault. He cleared 4.30m and 4.50m at his first attempt, but, after passing at 4.60m, failed his three attempts to clear 4.70m to gain only 760 points. His personal best is 4.80m.
He threw 55.69m in the javelin to add 673 points and finished off with a run of four minutes 47.30 seconds in the 1500m for 635 points.
American Trey Hardee retained his world title with 8607 points.
Middle-distance runner Nikki Hamblin will switch her focus to the 800m heats on Thursday after falling in the closing stages of her 1500m heat yesterday.
Hamblin was in a tight bunch down the finishing straight striving to finish in the top six to qualify for the final but as she tried to surge through a gap, she clipped the heel of a runner and fell. She eventually picked herself up and walked to the finish in four minutes 36.70 seconds.
Her heat was won by Hannah England of Great Britain in 4m 13.45s.
In Berlin two years ago at the world champs Hamblin tripped and fell in the heats of the 800m and went on to excel in the 1500m.
Nick Willis competes in the heats of the 1500m on Tuesday afternoon.
