Willis, Adams in Euro Track Events

Nick Willis

ITALY
IAAF World Challenge, Rieti – 10 September 2011
Nick Willis bounced back from his disappointing run in the final of the 1500m at the world athletic championships last week with a second over 1500m at the IAAF world challenge meeting in Italy.
The Olympic 1500m silver medallist recorded 3m 35.52s, just over five seconds behind race winner Asbel Kiprop of Kenya. The Olympic and world champion clocked the world’s fastest time this season of 3m 30.46s.
Willis was well off his New Zealand record of 3m 31.79s set in Monaco in July.

SWITZERLAND
Weltklasse Zurich, Diamond League – 8 September 2011
Olympic and three-time World champion Valerie Adams won the final shot put competition in the IAAF Diamond League series.
Competing at a temporarily constructed indoor arena located in the main station in Zurich, Adams capped her perfect season with a winning performance of 20.51m and in the process lifted the Diamond Trophy with 24 points having won five of the five competitions (Oslo, Paris, Stockholm, London and Zurich).
Adams, World champion last week in Daegu with an impressive national record of 21.24m, opened with 19.87m and then produced five throws over the 20 metres barrier, (20.09m 20.33m 20.32m 20.51m 20.35m).
Adams, who was last defeated by Nadezhda Ostapchuk from Belarus in 2010 in Zürich, increased her unbeaten streak to 14 wins in a row.

Ostapchuk came very close with 20.48m in the fifth attempt in her only release over 20 metres. Jillian Camarena Williams of USA finished third with 19.64m.

“I enjoyed competing in the railway station. There were many supporters from New Zealand and Magglingen where I have been training since last year. The competition was very consistent and I am very happy with the results I achieved this year. In 2010 I finished second many times,” said Adams.
As it was an indoor competition Adams also achieved a New Zealand indoor record adding 2cm to her record set at last year’s world indoor championships in Doha.