Valerie Vili suffers rare defeat

Reuters

NOT GOOD: New Zealand's Valerie Vili grimaces after a shot put at the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Aspire Dome in Doha.

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Valerie Vili's long winning streak came to an end at the world indoor athletics championships in Qatar today.

New Zealand's reigning Olympic champion had to settle for a silver medal at Doha behind her long-time rival, Nadzeya Ostapchuk, of Belarus.

Vili, the defending indoor world champion and last beaten in competition in September, 2007, hurled a best throw of 20.49m with her fifth and penultimate effort.

Ostapchuk bettered that with her own fifth throw of 20.68m and extended her advantage with a final put of 20.85m, both championship records.

The bronze medal was won by another Belarussian, Natallia Mikhnevich, with 20.42m.

Ostapchuk had opened the competition and struck early with an impressive 20.24m. Vili followed as the next thrower but responded with a red flag then Mikhnevich registered 20.42m to take a shock first round lead.

With her second throw Ostapchuk was a little over-exhuberant and slipped out of the front of the circle, appeared to roll her ankle.

Vili responded by launching the metal ball out to 20.45m to move into podium top spot and the medal positions did not change in round three, although the way Vili held her head in her hands after a 20.41m effort suggested she thought there was more to come.

The competition exploded into life in round five when Ostapchuk promoted herself from the bronze to the gold medal position with a mighty 20.68m, 0.13m in advance of the championship record set by Russian Irina Korzhanenko in 2003.

Vili responded with her best of 20.49m but time was running out for the New Zealander and in the final round, though, Ostapchuk, 29, gave herself more breathing space as she powered the shot out to 20.85m.

Vili had to settle with 20.29m and the longest unbeaten streak in the sport, covering 28 successive final victories spanning 2-1/2 years, was over.

- NZPA