Olympics: NZ athlete says late gold is ‘justice’

" What better place to have it than in my own country," says Valerie Adams

AUCKLAND: AUCKLAND. New Zealand shot putter Valerie Adams received her long-awaited Olympic gold medal at an emotional ceremony yesterday, more than six weeks after being denied the honour in London. “Today we got justice,” said Adams. “I’m very overwhelmed, very speechless. I’m just glad today’s happened. It’s around my neck where it should have been in the first place. What better place to have it than in my own country and I’m just very glad this is around my neck now.” Adams, the defending Olympic champion, finished second in London to Belarusian Nadezhda Ostapchuk who was later stripped of the title after testing positive for banned steroids. The popular Adams has been competing in Europe since then and flew into Auckland to a heroes welcome only a few hours before the makeshift medal ceremony.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2012.