Bertrand Vili

Bertrand Vili (born 6 September 1983) is a French former track and field athlete who competed in the discus throw. He represented France at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics and was a silver medallist at the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie.[1] He was a double shot put/discus gold medallist at the 2001 South Pacific Mini Games and also won javelin throw silver.[2] He won the gold medal in the discus at the 2007 Pacific Games in a games record of 58.31 m.[3] He successfully defended that title four years later at the 2011 Pacific Games, held in his native New Caledonia.[4] He has a personal best of 63.66 m (208 ft 10+1⁄4 in) and is the New Caledonian national record holder.

He won three straight national titles at the French Athletics Championships from 2007 to 2009.[5] He has also won at the Australian Athletics Championships (2009) and won a shot put and two discus titles at the New Zealand Athletics Championships between 2002 and 2004.[6]

In 2006 he wrote off his car in an accident while narrowly beneath the drink-drive limit. He was married to fellow athlete Valerie Adams from 2004 to 2010, with Adams citing Vili's drinking as a cause of their marital breakdown in her autobiography.[7] His cousin Laurent Vili is a former shot putter and rugby player.[8]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2001 South Pacific Mini Games Middlegate, Norfolk Island 1st Shot put 16.81 m
1st Discus throw 49.41 m
2nd Javelin throw 63.78 m
2002 World Junior Championships Kingston, Jamaica 5th Shot put 20.12 m
11th Discus throw 57.87 m
2003 European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 7th Discus throw 54.88 m
2005 European U23 Championships Erfurt, Germany 11th Discus throw 55.40 m
Jeux e la Francophonie Niamey, Niger 2nd Discus throw 54.05 m
2007 Pacific Games Apia, Samoa 1st Discus throw 58.31 m GR
2nd Hammer throw 55.73 m
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 18th (q) Discus throw 60.88 m
2011 Pacific Games Nouméa, New Caledonia 1st Discus throw 54.12 m
  • Positions in qualifying rounds (q) are overall positions in the round including all groups.

National titles

See also

References

  1. ^ Francophone Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  2. ^ South Pacific Mini Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  3. ^ Samoan athlete is strong medal contender in field events. The National (13 July 2015). Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. ^ South Pacific Games Results. SportsTG. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  5. ^ Bertrand Vili. IAAF. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  6. ^ New Zealand Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  7. ^ Adams 'embarrassed' by 2am haka. Stuff (28 October 2012). Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  8. ^ Middleton, Julie (7 November 2008). Acquittal ends seven-year ordeal for rugby player Vili. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2018.