Create a generation of Valeries

JUSTIN LATIF

Last updated 05:00 21/09/2012

As our trade deficit grows, New Zealand needs to find new exports, and there was no better advertisement for one of Auckland's most valuable commodities than Valerie Adams' gold medal ceremony on Wednesday night.

Adams is not only a credit to herself and her family, she's a prime example of what can happen when you combine incredible raw talent, expert coaching and a ton of mental toughness.

And she doesn't have to be a one off when there are thousands with similar attributes bouncing around our fine city.

With a burgeoning population of powerful Pacific Island youth, Athletics New Zealand needs to act fast and set up a Throwing Academy aimed at recruiting young Tongan and Samoan women before they get snapped up by the NZRU's Sevens development programs for Rio 2016 and beyond.

Adams' fantastic performances over the last decade, and to a lesser extent Beautrice Faumuinia's World Championship title, shouldn't be seen as flash in the pan successes.

Instead, we should be trying to create a generation of Valeries and Beautrices who dominate the shot put, discus, javelin and hammer throw events in the same way our rowers and kayakers are making waves in their respective fields.

Obviously Polynesians are blessed with impressive physiques, but the other part of the equation should be luring a world class coach to lead this academy in the some way Dick Tonks has shaped Rowing NZ's gold medal factory.

Former Auckland mayor Les Mills would be an obvious choice and he's probably already mentoring a number of up and coming throwers.

But I'd suggest an even better option is to get Kirsten Hellier back from honing Adams' Chinese rivals. If New Zealand isn't careful it will be China dominating the podium at these events in years to come and a perfect opportunity to harness Adams' popularity will be lost.

Adams herself must be starting to consider life after the shot put and so perhaps a cushy job travelling the country and the Pacific Islands recruiting stars of the future could be chucked her way.

Sometimes in this country we can get quite focused on the immediate high of a big win and forget to think about the ongoing possibilities following sporting success. It's taken hockey over thirty years to return to being competitive since their gold medal win in 1976. It's a similar story with football and even cricket is struggling to rekindle the romance of the 1980s.

So if track and field's administrators don't find a way use Adams to ensure future gold medallists come forth, then they will be guilty of a far worse crime than merely forgetting to add their number one athlete to the starters' list.