Valerie’s coach - Jean-Pierre Egger

I'm training Valerie for shot-put.

I have to train her for the big day because she has got to please New Zealand. I need her to be really strong for the big day. New Zealand wants her to win gold. She wants to please New Zealand. When she is really strong she can push hard. Valerie has won gold before; she will be really disappointed if she does not get gold. She is doing really well; I think she will win for sure. I think she is the best.

I’m so proud of that 27 year old Valerie Adams she has made it so far in her life. Winning for NZ in all the shot-put events she has entered like the commonwealth games two years ago and the Olympics in 2008. She is most likely going to win again. It’s time for the woman’s shot-put finals to begin… it’s time for the champ to have her throw. It went about 21.51 metres, nobody could beat that. Wait! There’s something fishy going on. That ozteucchok or however you say it looks bigger and stronger?! Wait there’s something wrong the champ isn’t the champ any more!!!!????

Valerie is standing on the stage with a silver medal. I am feeling so sad that she has got silver.  We were hoping for gold but I am still proud that she has got silver. It is sad that they cannot hear the New Zealand anthem.  We are still so happy.  It is better than nothing. We are very proud of her. She did the best she can and that is what really counts. But there is something fishy about the person who got gold. I just cannot put my finger on it…

Just before I leave to go back to NZ I notice Ostapchuk looking rather brutal. I remember seeing her face at the Olympics. It had some rather manly features then to. But I thought it was just a trick of the light and turned away.  On the plane going home, I'm thinking about that day. I'd heard that, no I'd seen her 9 weeks before the Olympic Games. She'd thrown 19.58 metres. Valerie threw 21.03 metres in Rome. Ostapchuk flew back and in Minsk she threw 21.58 metres. A two metre improvement in 6 weeks.... I wake up. I had the strangest thoughts over the plane trip. I get off the plane turning my cell phone on. About 2 minutes later it rings. "Hello" I say over the receiver. I listen for a while. I can barely contain my emotions. Ostapchuk cheated. This means that Valerie Adams won the GOLDEN medal. I don't know how I should feel. You know happy that Valerie got gold in the end, but also robbed. New Zealand didn't get their national anthem played at the ceremony.  My other emotions thou were angry that Ostapchuk would sink that low just to be the Olympic Champion. I know that being on the podium is glory and you probably feel on top of the world, but cheating I thought to myself that's not right!  Valerie dropped in this morning. Her emotions were mixed too. I’m so glad that she won, but annoyed that her opponent cheated. But we were both glad that Valerie won the medal.