Athletics: Vili claims second victory in Australia

A 2008 file shot of Valerie Vili. Photo by NZPA.
A 2008 file shot of Valerie Vili. Photo by NZPA.
World and Olympic champion Valerie Vili got her world athletics tour programme off on a winning note, taking out the women's shot put in the opening round at Melbourne last night.

It was Vili's third victory in the past fortnight, having won at the Black Singlet meet in Auckland and at the Sydney Classic last weekend.

Against modest opposition, Vili, who had bettered 20m in Auckland and Sydney, managed 19.36m to beat American Kristin Heaston by 2.25m.

Sprinter Monique Williams followed up her record-breaking 200m performance in Sydney last Saturday with a personal best of 52.20sec in the 400m in Melbourne.

Williams, 23, finished second behind Australian Tamsyn Lewis, who ran 51.86sec. Lewis won the world indoor 800m title last year.

Stuart Farquhar joined Vili on the top step of the podium, winning the javelin with a last round effort of 79.17m, shadingAustralians Joshua Rombinson (75.35m) and Matthew Outzen (71.80m).

Christchurch's David Ambler clocked 10.52sec to finish third in the 100m which was won by Jamaica's former world record holder Asafa Powell in 10.23s.

Former world champion Beatrice Faumuina was fourth in the discus with 56.93m and Veronica Torr fifth in the women's 100m hurdles in 14.46s.

James Mortimer was seventh in the 110m hurdles and in the 200m.

In the women's 1500m, Nikki Hamblin was third in 4min 12.50sec while Fiona Crombie was 10th.

In other men's events, Gareth Hyett was 11th in the 1500m in 3min 45.98sec and Luke Hurring also 11th in the 5000m in 14min 4.71sec.