Dame Valerie Adams sent a clear message yesterday that she is still a medal threat as she eyes up her fifth Olympic campaign.
One of New Zealand's most successful Olympians, Dame Valerie made an emphatic statement with an unbeaten 19.65 metre throw at the Sir Graeme Douglas International Meet in Auckland last night.
Dame Valerie said the throw was her best since having her two children, making it not only a season best, but her best performance in over three years.
"To be honest I'm just like, really ecstatic. It's like, post-two babies PB for me," she said, holding back tears.
"I haven't thrown this far in over three years and to kind of come back into the shape that I'm kind of used to and execution of the throw that I'm kind of used to is actually quite exciting," she added.
Dame Valerie's fifth Olympic campaign made her the subject of skepticism with many doubting whether the two-time Olympic gold medallist still had it, however her performance last night puts a lot of that rhetoric to rest.
"Alot of people doubted me when I took this road to going to my fifth Olympics but I never doubted myself," she said.
Her coach Dale Stevenson backs her to pull off gold in five months when the Tokyo Olympics are set to kick off.
"Without a doubt she could win the Olympics in Tokyo and that's what we're aiming to do and we're pretty unashamed about it," Stevenson said.
"I'd defy anyone to prove us wrong."
Echoing the same unabashed confidence from Stevenson, Dame Valerie backed up her season best performance with a firm statement - "I am back. I am here to stay. So watch this space."
SHARE ME