Vili Retains World Championship Title

Valerie Vili successfully defended her world shot put title coming from behind after the first two round to claim victory with a throw of 20.44m.

Vili becomes the third athlete to win it back to back, following on from Zhihong Huang of China 1991 and 1993 and Astrid Kumbernuss of Germany 1995, 1997 and 1999.

After round one, with the backing of a home crowd Nadine Kleinert of Germany equalled her personal best with a mighty throw of 20.06m.

Lijiao Gong of China was in second with 19.69m.

Natallia Mikhnevich of Russia is third with 19.66m and Valerie Vili is in fourth place with her opening round throw of 19.40m.

Valerie Vili not happy with her second round throw and put her foot on the barrier board at the front of the circle to indicate a foul. With her trade mark blue towel around her neck Vili paced patiently for her next attempt.

Placings remained the same in round two with Gong improving to 19.89m.

Valerie Vili finally popped out a big one in round three out to 20.25m to take the lead by 5cm from Nadine Kleinert who was out to a personal best third round throw of 20.20m to the roar of the large parochial crowd. Gong held third with 19.89m.

Placings the same in round four. Vili still leads. Vili's fourth round throw was 20.16m.

Valerie Vili finally hit her straps, hoisting out a big one in round five of 20.44m to further consolidate her lead.
Vili admitted to having a slow start.

"I got off to a slow start out there, I knew Nadine was always going to be at full swing because it was a home crowd for her," said Vili.

"I like competition and I like the way she pushed me out there because I love a bit of competition like that to be pushed obviously to be competing at home and on my own nobody is pushing me but to come out here and compete at world champs and for someone to push me like that is awesome for me and the sport and the event. The crowd out there was just fantastic the Germans definitely know their sport, they know the event they have have done so well in the past in the event," she said.

"I'm just very happy and over whelmed and thankful to everyone that's supported me," she added.

"Two titles under my belt I'm pretty happy with that."

Vili said that she was definitely looking for a bigger throw than her winning effort.

"You do what you can to win, so tonight I wasn't able to achieve what I wanted to throw but I achieved the title. So that's got to be good to me, that's got to be good for my country, for my people and for my family," she added.

After winning everything that is possible to win in her event, a world youth, junior and now two senior titles as well as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Gold Medals Vili said that she will continue in the sport for as long as she keeps enjoying it.

"I enjoy it, enjoy what I do. The day I wake up and not enjoy it, I'll hang my shoes up."

Vili paid a special tribute to her coach Kirsten Hellier.

"We've been a partnership for 11 years, she is the pilot of our plane. She's a woman and there are not a lot of women coaches, you just have to look up in the stands."