Faumuina 'rapt' over clash with world champ

Former world discus champion Beatrice Faumuina says tonight's tussle in Christchurch with world titleholder Dani Samuels will be her biggest in New Zealand for 12 years.

"The last time in women's discus that we had someone of that calibre come over here was in 1998 when [Atlanta Olympic Games] silver medallist Natalya Sadova, of Russia, was here for the Robin Tait Classic," Faumuina said yesterday.

"I'm really rapt that the sponsors are really supporting track and field and have given us an opportunity to compete at home against a world champion. I don't think, in women's discus, we've seen that for quite some time."

Twelve years ago, Faumuina toppled Sadova – the 2004 Olympic champion who was later banned for taking steroids – and set a New Zealand residents' record of 67.58 metres.

But the 1997 world champion will have to be at her best at Queen Elizabeth II Park to eclipse rising star Samuels. The 21-year-old Sydneysider became the youngest world discus champion in Berlin last year with a then-personal best of 65.44m.

Both athletes have already met the qualifying targets for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October.

Faumuina won the Commonwealth gold in 1998 and 2002 after a silver in Victoria in 1994. Samuels, former world junior champion, won the Commonwealth bronze medal in Melbourne in 2006 as an 18-year-old, beating Faumuina into fourth place.

She is looking forward to meeting Faumuina on New Zealand soil. "Beatrice has been coming over to Sydney since I was about 16 to compete at our nationals and our track classic meets, so it's good to come and compete against her here."

Both athletes are in good shape but are acutely aware they have a long season ahead of them before the Commonwealth Games.

Faumuina, 35, has had a consistent summer, several times throwing over 60m, with with a season-best of 61.11m

Samuels had a month off after her European season – "A bit longer than I wanted to, but my trainer told me to have that long off" – and later suffered a wrist injury.

She said she had been "throwing quite well", registering a near-60m distance at the Zatopek Classic in Sydney last December. She set a personal best of 65.84m – 40 centimetres better than her Berlin world championships effort – at the Sydney Track Classic last month.

"I was quite happy with that!" she said.

Samuels rated her efforts in Melbourne a fortnight ago as "the most consistent" of her career, culminating in a top throw of 62.97m.

It all points to a challenging night in the circle for Faumuina, who seems fitter and fresher than she did at the Beijing Olympics 18 months ago.

Faumuina attributes her form to "staying at home last winter" to focus on fine-tuning her technique with coach Ross Dallow, who became her mentor on Boxing Day 2007.

After "16 or 17 years" of international competition, it had been "like learning to walk again", she said. But the Aucklander believes, for the first time in her long career, that she now "understands the mechanics of how to throw" and is reaping the benefits.

Faumuina, who is now working and studying in Auckland, will not begin competing overseas until June.

But she said her fitness and training quality had "improved a lot" under Dallow and she was "just jazzed" about the season ahead.

- © Fairfax NZ News