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Valerie Kasanita AdamsNew Zealand shot putter
Date of Birth: 06.10.1984
Country:  New Zealand |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- Coaching and Athletics Career
- 2000s
- 2010s
- 2016 Rio Olympics
- 2010s and Beyond
- Legacy and Honors
Early Life and Family
Valerie Adams is a New Zealand shot putter born on October 6, 1984, in Rotorua, New Zealand. Her mother, Lilika Ngauamo, was Tongan, and her father, Sidney "Sid" Adams, was an Englishman who settled in New Zealand after serving in the British Royal Navy. Valerie has 17 siblings from her father's five different relationships. One of her younger brothers is the professional basketball player Steven Adams.
Valerie was married to discus thrower Bertrand Vili from French New Caledonia from 2004 to 2010. During their marriage, she competed under the last name Vili. She has been married to Gabriel Price since April 2, 2016, whom she had known since childhood. Together, they have two children: a daughter, Kimoana Josephine Adams-Price (born October 11, 2017), and a son, Kepaleli Taava Sidney Adams-Price (born March 2019). Valerie is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Coaching and Athletics Career
Valerie's coach since 1998 was former New Zealand javelin thrower Kirsten Hellier, a 1994 Commonwealth Games silver medalist and 1992 Barcelona Olympian. In late March 2010, Valerie announced that she had ended her partnership with Hellier.
2000s
Valerie's athletic career began in the early 2000s.- 2001:At the age of 16, Valerie won the World Youth Championships in Debrecen with a throw of 16.87m.
- 2002:She became the World Junior Champion with a result of 17.73m and also won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester with a throw of 17.45m.
- 2003:At the World Championships in Paris, at the age of 18, Valerie finished fifth.
- 2004:She competed in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, placing eighth while recovering from injury (18.56m).
- 2005:At the World Championships in Helsinki, Valerie won bronze, throwing the shot 19.87m (a personal best). Years later, the original winner Nadezhda Ostapchuk was disqualified, and Vili was awarded the silver medal.
- 2006:The following year, Valerie became the Commonwealth Games Champion in Melbourne, setting a new Games record of 19.66m.
- 2007:At the World Championships in Osaka, Valerie was the top favorite. She led in qualifying with 19.45m. However, in the final, she trailed behind Ostapchuk, who threw 20.48m. Vili managed to snatch victory in her last attempt, throwing 6cm further (20.54m) and setting a new Commonwealth record. Vili became one of the few athletes to win at the World Youth, World Junior, and World Senior levels.
- 2008:In March 2008, in Valencia, Valerie won her first World Indoor Championship (20.16m).
- 2008 Beijing Olympics:At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Vili won qualification (19.73m) and then in the final had a brilliant series of five consecutive throws over 20 meters: 20.56, 20.40, 20.26, 20.01, 20.52. Only one other athlete, Belarusian Natallia Mikhnevich, managed to throw over 20m, with 20.28 and 20.12. Valerie achieved three of the best results of the final. Vili's 20.56m became her new personal best. Vili's gold was New Zealand's first in athletics at the Olympics since 1976.
- 2009:At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Vili won her second consecutive summer World Championship title with a throw of 20.44m.
2010s
- 2010:In March 2010, in Doha at the World Indoor Championships, Vili failed to win a major championship for the first time in four years. She threw 20.49m (a new Oceania indoor record) but fell 36cm short of Ostapchuk, who set a new World Indoor Championship record. Ostapchuk was later disqualified, and gold was awarded to Valerie. In October 2010, she won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi with a new Games record of 20.47m (a margin of over 140cm from second place).
- 2011:In August 2011, she became World Champion with a throw of 21.24m, breaking her personal best and setting a World Championship record. Ostapchuk, who finished second, lost by over a meter. Additionally, the 21.24m result was the best outdoor women's shot put in the 21st century (the last time anyone threw further was Larisa Peleshenko in 2000).
- 2012:In March 2012, she won the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, setting another Oceania indoor record of 20.54m.
- 2012 London Olympics:On August 6, 2012, at the London Olympics, Valerie finished second to Ostapchuk. In the final, Adams could only throw 20.70m, while Ostapchuk threw over 21 meters four times: 21.31, 21.36, 21.15, 21.32. Three of these four results exceeded Adams' personal best. On August 13, 2012, the IOC website announced that Ostapchuk had failed a doping test and would be stripped of her gold medal. As a result, Valerie became a two-time Olympic Champion.
- 2013:In August 2013, at the World Championships in Moscow, she won her fourth consecutive title with a throw of 20.88m. Christina Schwanitz of Germany, who finished second, lost to Adams by 47cm despite setting a personal best (20.41m). Adams became the first woman in history to win four consecutive outdoor World Championships in shot put.
- 2014:Valerie won her third consecutive Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with a throw of 19.88m (over a meter ahead of the runner-up).
- 2015:In September 2014, she underwent elbow and shoulder surgery, taking almost a year to fully recover. As a result, Adams was forced to miss the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. Before the Championships, she ended her 57-straight competition-winning streak. In her absence, Christina Schwanitz became World Champion.
- 2016:In March 2016, Adams competed at the World Indoor Championships in Portland. Still regaining her fitness after injury, she recorded a 19.25m throw and finished third behind Michelle Carter of the USA (20.21m) and Anita Marton of Hungary, who set a national record (19.33m). Adams had earned a medal at her fifth consecutive World Indoor Championships.
2016 Rio Olympics
Coming into the 2016 Rio Olympics, Valerie was considered the overwhelming favorite in shot put. In qualification, Adams confidently qualified for the final with her first attempt (19.74m), which remained the best result in the qualification round. In the final, she immediately took the lead with her first attempt (19.79m), further solidifying her position with her second attempt (20.42m). Before the last attempt, Michelle Carter was in second place (19.87m). In the final attempt, Carter unexpectedly threw 20.63m, setting an American record and the world's best result of the season. Adams also threw a strong result (20.39m) in her last attempt, but it was not enough to win gold, leaving the New Zealander in second place. Carter became the first American to win Olympic gold in the women's shot put.
2010s and Beyond
- 2018 Commonwealth Games:In 2018, Adams won her fifth medal, at her fifth consecutive Commonwealth Games, which were held on the Gold Coast. Valerie placed second with a throw of 18.70m, losing to Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica.
- 2021 Tokyo Olympics:In July 2021, Adams' third-place finish in the final at 36 years of age marked her last global podium appearance. Gong Lijiao of China won gold.
Legacy and Honors
Valerie Adams has won a total of eight world championship titles: four outdoor and four indoor. She is also a two-time Olympic champion and a four-time Commonwealth Games champion. She holds the world championship, New Zealand, Oceania, and Commonwealth Games records
