Current World Champion Coming To Christchurch

The stakes were raised today in the women’s discus event at the International Track Meet on March 18th at QEII Stadium in Christchurch, with confirmation that current world champion Dani Samuels of Australia will travel here to compete. This will give local legend and former world champion Beatrice Faumuina some top class competition for her trip to Christchurch, and will be a mouth-watering clash between the two top-ranked athletes in the Commonwealth so far this year, who are also ranked 1 and 3 in the world respectively. Because Faumuina is unable to travel to Australia for the Grand Prix meetings there, this will be sports fans’ only chance to see these two superb athletes compete against each other ahead of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.

Samuels is one of the rising stars of Australian Athletics, and to be world champion at just 21 years of age in such a power-based events prompts comparisons with New Zealand’s Valerie Vili in the shot put. Samuels has competed just once so far this year, but already leads the world rankings with a throw of 63.70m in Brisbane in her first outing two weeks ago, and in another month could be a real threat to the New Zealand Allcomers record of 68.72m, set by her compatriot Daniela Costian in 1994, which is also the Australian National record. Breaking the NZ Allcomers record at this meet will net Samuels a $1000 prize bonus – well worth chasing her rival across the Tasman for.

Samuels is the youngest world discus champion ever, a distinction held for 12 years by Faumuina until the Australian succeeded her in Berlin last year. The pair first clashed at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, when the then-17-year-old Australian snatched the bronze medal from the grasp of the defending champion Faumuina with her last throw of the competition and ending Faumuina’s medal run of silver-gold-gold at the previous three Commonwealth Games’. Faumuina will be keen to avenge that defeat on the sub-continent in October, and next month in Christchurch will be the appetiser for that battle between the rising Aussie star and the veteran Kiwi campaigner.

Meet Director Craig Motley said “Both of these athletes are used to performing solo without any real competition, it is a real coup for the event to bring the two of them together to go head to head. A former world champion against the current world champion – what more could the event ask for?”

For further meet information go to www.internationaltrackmeet.co.nz