New Zealand confident that Olympic gold medallist will not quit for Britain
Date: 05/02/2009
[b]FEBRUARY 5 - NEW ZEALAND athletics officials do not think that Valerie Vili, the Olympic shot put champion, will quit them to compete for Britain at London 2012.
The 24-year-old, who in Beijing last year won New Zealand’s first athletics gold medal in athletics since John Walker took the 1500 metres at Montreal in 1976, is upset over the lack of state funding she receives.
She is eligible for a British passport because her father was Scottish, as insidethegames revealed yesterday.
Vili could also qualify for French citizenship as her husband is French.[/b]
Last September Jon-Paul Tobin, formerly the world’s top-ranked windsurfer, declared that he would switch from New Zealand to Britain, partly because of the extra support he would receive here in the build-up to London 2012.
But Scott Newman, the chief executive of Athletics New Zealand (ANZ), believes that Vili, who is also the world and Commonwealth champion, will keep her promise not to switch countries.
He said: "I suspect Val [has] received some very good offers after the Olympics, it would be nothing for some countries to throw a quiet million at [her] and say `come and compete for us, because you’re the next gold medallists’.
“We can’t do that; as a national federation, we just don’t have vast sums of money.”
Newman said while it was feasible for Vili to earn good money competing Britain, there was more at stake than just dollars.
He said: "You’d be shifting into a completely different environment, it’s quite a decision.
"But we’re very conscious of those things, and we certainly do everything possible to support Val .
“We know financially that will never be as much as [she] could potentially get from other countries, but we offer what we can.”
Vili’s gold from the Beijing Olympics, coupled with Nick Willis’ 1500m bronze, had provided track and field in New Zealand with a real boost, Newman said.
He said: "There’s no doubt high performance success creates interest in the sport… Olympic and Commonwealth golds really resonate with the New Zealand public.
"I guess it’s about maintaining that success - Val’s been great, and hopefully she’ll keep going for the next eight years.
“But we need someone else to continue that sustained success.”
New Zealand Olympic champion pleads for more support
Date: 03/02/2009
FEBRUARY 3 - VALERIE VILI (pictured), the Olympic shot put champion, today pleaded for more financial support in the build-up to London 2012 but claimed that if cash was her motivation she would compete for Britain.
The 24-year-old made her plea after being named as the winner of the Halberg Award, the country’s most prestigious prize, for a second consecutive year.
Vili receives an annual grant of NZ$40,000 (£14,116) from Sport & Recreation New Zealand, the country’s funding agency, but claims that is not enough and has to work part-time as a teacher to help support herself.
She said: "It costs me 140 bucks (£49.33) to fill up my car and it’s expensive for athletes who have to eat a lot.
"I’m in my sport because I love it, but there needs to be some value for what I do.
"The Government should consider me the same way they consider a major event like the America’s Cup.
"I don’t feel like I’m valued.
"I stay in New Zealand because I’m loyal.
“If I was doing this for money I could go and compete in France, my husband’s country or England because of my father [he was British], because you can make a lot of money, but I don’t do that because I love New Zealand.”
Villi, who was born to a Tongan mother and Scottish father, claimed New Zealand’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics at Beijing since John Walker won the 1500 metres at the 1976 Games in Montreal.
It underlined her domination of her event .
She now holds every major title available to her, including gold medals in the the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the 2007 World Championships in Osaka and the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valencia.
Vili also won the Sportswoman of the Year category last year and she became only the third female to capture the big prize twice in the 60-year history of the awards, which is named after Murray Halberg, the 1960 Olympic 5,000m champion who overcame the disability of a crippled left arm to become one of the world’s most successful athletes.
Vili followed in the footsteps of fellow athlete Yvette Williams, the winner in 1950 and 1952, and lightweight rower Philippa Baker, in 1991 and 1994, as the only other women to win two Halberg Awards, and the first to score back-to-back wins.
She also became the 10th dual winner and first since rower Rob Waddell, the only three-time winner, who triumphed in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Kirsten Hellier, who has guided Vili’s career, was also rewarded by being named coach of the year.
Firstly I have nothing against Val, I haven’t met her and by everything I have seen and heard she is a lovely woman. There is a view by many that she will end up as NZ’s most successful ever athlete.
That said WTF Womens shotput is a minor event (I saw someone elsewhere state The iaaf labelled Womens Shotput as the least competitive event in Athletics but cannot substantiate that claim) in a minor sport. NZ has 4.3million people and whether you like it or not Government investment is approx $32m (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0812/S00151.htm). I am sure, but may be wrong, I have previously heard Val state she enjoys the part time work as it gives her some balance.
I would hate to see her change countries and perhaps she should be investigating more endorsement opportunities. I know that is easier said than done (just like all the people who say why doesn’t the national sports organization get more sponsorship :rolleyes:) but she is highly respected, recognizable and currently doesn’t appear to have many.
Womens shotput is a minor event (I saw someone elsewhere state