by Larry Eder
Valeri Vili is the best women shot putter in the world! That, is a fact. She is on
the top of her form and she is focused. She hit 19.93m on her first throw, which
destroyed the meet record by Michelle Carter, and also gave her the win by .13m
over her Belarussian rival.
The press conference for the Diamond League was a little different for Valeri. She was
asked how the American shot putters stack up, and if she was concerned about
them. Her comment, after some silence, was, ” Well they are very nice girls.” But, in
effect, she has her hands full with her challengers from Belarus, as she noted:
“I think
it’s going to be a good competition between myself and Natalya
[Khoroneko-Mikhnevich]. The rivalry between myself and the Belarusians
has always been great, and I’m just really looking forward to it.”
Vili is the champion from Osaka, the champion from Beijing and the champion
from Berlin: she is at the top of her form, and she thrives on competition. Her
win at the adidas Grand Prix was like her demeanor: focused, precise and strong.
What would you expect of the world’s top women shot putter?
Will you compete in Commonwealth Games?
“The Commonwealth Games is very important for my country and for
Australia. It’s not my main focus–it’s the Diamond League, and once
that’s over, it’s the World Cup, and when that’s over, it’s the
Commonwealth Games.”
