With this year’s Olympics less than three weeks away, New Zealand’s Tongan-born shotput queen Valerie Adams has scored a major victory in Budapest.
Adams won in the Hungarian Athletics grand prix meeting in Budapest with a 20.19m throw earlier today.
Afterwards she tweeted: “A win in Budapest with 20.19m and a meet record and seasons best. A great competition indeed. Thank you Hungary.”
Adams has been on the comeback trail after undergoing knee and shoulder surgery and is now well prepared for the Rio Games.
She has already competed in three Olympics, where she has won gold twice. She has also competed four times in the Commonwealth Games, where she has won three gold and one silver.
Her official New Zealand Olympic team profile described her as “the dominant women’s shot putter in the world since 2006.”
According to Radio New Zealand, she is one of only nine athletes – along with Usain Bolt – who has been a world champion at youth, junior, and senior levels of her event.
Born in the Cook Islands and proud of her Tongan heritage, she is an outstanding example of the contribution people from the Pacific have made to New Zealand. In 2014 she carried the New Zealand flag at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Last year Adams was appointed as Lord Vaea’s herald with the name Tongitupe-ʻO e-Funga Taua.
The appointment is the highest honour given to commoners in Tongan culture.
She was appointed to the title while attending a double celebrations in her mother’s village, Houma. Houma is Lord Vaea’s estate.
Earlier this year Kaniva News reported that she had become engaged to fiancé Gabriel Price, who she married in April.
The main points
- With this year’s Olympics less than three weeks away, New Zealand’s Tongan-born shotput queen Valerie Adams has scored a major victory in Budapest.
- Adams won in the Hungarian Athletics grand prix meeting in Budapest with a 20.19m throw earlier today.
- Afterwards she tweeted: “A win in Budapest with 20.19m and a meet record and seasons best. A great competition indeed. Thank you Hungary.”
- Adams has been on the comeback trail after undergoing knee and shoulder surgery and is now well prepared for the Rio Games.
For more information
Adams throws season’s best in Budapest
Field: Valerie Adams and Tom Walsh (Radio New Zealand)
