Athletics: Adams claims landmark gold

Valerie Adams competes in the women's shot put final. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Valerie Adams competes in the women's shot put final. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett
Adams celebrates after winning the event to claim New Zealand's 600th Commonwealth Games medal....
Adams celebrates after winning the event to claim New Zealand's 600th Commonwealth Games medal. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

Valerie Adams made no race of winning her third Commonwealth Games shot put gold medal on a cool night at Hampden Park.

After having a no throw to start, Adams flung out a throw of 19.88m and no-one else got close.

With one mighty heave, the gold the athletic world knew was a formality was officially confirmed.

Adams thus equalled Val Young's record of three golds and one silver Games medals.

Young won the titles in 1958, 1962 and 1966, with the second placing at Christchurch in 1974.

Adams followed up with throws of 19.58m, 19.76m and 19.79m to wrap it up, along with a second no throw on her fourth trip to the circle.

It is Adams' 12th win of the year and her 54th successive title, dating back to August 2010. It is also the 600th Games medal for New Zealand.

Adams towered over her 11 rivals as the athletes were introduced to a packed stadium.

After her opening miss, she paced about behind the circle as if just itching waiting for a chance to atone, and stamp her mark on the night.

The only thrower who got remotely close - and that is using the word loosely - was Trinidad and Tobago's Cleo Borel, whose best effort of 18.57m with her second throw, won her the silver medal.

Bronze went to Canadian Juli Labonte, with a best effort of 17.58m, a distant 2.3m behind Adams.

Adams didn't manage to match her year's best outdoor distance of 20.46m at the national championships in Wellington in March. And her Games record of 20.47m from New Delhi four years remains intact.

Her Wellington performance is also the best mark by anyone for the year, although Adams put up 20.67m at the world indoor championships in Sopot, Poland.

Adams flung her arms in the air after completing her sixth and last throw, and hugged her rivals.

Adams sat down at times, and walked around with a white towel draped aroud her neck, to guard against the chill in the night air.

But when it came time to deliver she was too hot for a field who must wonder when the day will come when they are genuinely contesting for gold on the world stage.

For now it's about silver and bronze, while the champion Adams owns the event.

It was fitting that an athlete of Adams' stature brought up New Zealand's 600th Commonwealth Games medal.

The haul includes medals won in the Games' previous incarnations - the British Empire Games, the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and the British Commonwealth Games.

New Zealand is the fourth nation to reach the 600 medal mark, following Australia, Canada and England.

Adams' medal was also New Zealand's 142nd gold in Games' history, and her third gold after wins in Delhi and Melbourne.

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