Val Smith
{{Short description|New Zealand lawn bowler}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| headercolor =
| name = Val Smith
| image =
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| caption =
| nationality = New Zealander
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|7|29|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| sport = Lawn bowls
| club = United, Nelson and
Merrylands, Sydney
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry |{{NZL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|World Outdoor Championships}}
{{MedalBronze | 2004 Leamington Spa | triples }}
{{MedalGold| 2008 Christchurch | singles}}
{{MedalGold| 2008 Christchurch | pairs}}
{{MedalSilver| 2008 Christchurch | team}}{{MedalSilver| 2012 Adelaide | singles}}
{{MedalSilver| 2012 Adelaide | pairs}}
{{MedalBronze| 2016 Christchurch | fours}}
{{MedalBronze | 2023 Gold Coast | fours}}
{{MedalSilver | 2023 Gold Coast | triples}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver| 2010 Delhi|Singles}}
{{MedalBronze|2014 Glasgow | fours}}
{{MedalBronze | 2022 Birmingham|triples }}
{{MedalBronze|2022 Birmingham|fours}}
{{MedalCompetition | Asia Pacific Bowls Championships }}
{{MedalGold|2003 Brisbane|fours}}
{{MedalBronze|2005 Melbourne|pairs}}
{{MedalGold|2007 Christchurch|singles}}
{{MedalSilver|2007 Christchurch|pairs}}
{{MedalGold|2011 Adelaide|pairs}}
{{MedalBronze|2015 Christchurch|fours}}
{{MedalGold|2019 Gold Coast|fours}}
}}
Valerie Christine Smith (born 29 July 1965) is an international lawn bowler from New Zealand.{{cite web |url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/49272 |title=Athletes and Results |publisher=Commonwealth Games Federation |access-date=11 April 2019 |archive-date=11 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411162137/https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/49272 |url-status=dead }}
Bowls career
=World Championships=
Smith won a bronze medal at the 2004 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Leamington Spa before winning three medals four years later at the 2008 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in the singles and pairs gold medal and team event (silver medal) in Christchurch, New Zealand. At the 2012 World Outdoor Bowls Championship, Smith won two silver medals in the singles and pairs respectively. In 2016, she won a bronze medal in the fours at the 2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Christchurch with Angela Boyd, Katelyn Inch and Kirsten Edwards.{{cite web |url=http://www.burnsidebowlingclub.com/2016WorldBowlsChampionshipFinalsResults.html |title=2016 World Bowls Championship Finals |publisher=Burnside Bowling Club}}
In 2020, she was selected for the 2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |url=https://bowlsnewzealand.co.nz/event-news/blackjacks-selected-for-world-championships-2020/ |title=Blackjacks Selected for World Championships 2020 |publisher=Bowls New Zealand |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-date=17 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717073202/https://bowlsnewzealand.co.nz/event-news/blackjacks-selected-for-world-championships-2020/ |url-status=dead }} In 2023, she was selected as part of the team to represent New Zealand at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.{{cite web |url=https://bowlsinternational.keypublishing.com/competitors-confirmed-world-bowls-outdoor-championships/ |title=COMPETITORS CONFIRMED: WORLD BOWLS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 |website=Bowls International |date=5 June 2023 |access-date=2 September 2023}} She participated in the women's triples and the women's fours events.{{cite web |url=https://www.worldbowls.com/events-list/ |title=Events and Results, World Championships 2023 Gold Coast, Australia |publisher=World Bowls |access-date=2 September 2023 |archive-date=19 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519080851/https://www.worldbowls.com/events-list/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://world2023.bowls.com.au/event-info/schedule/ |title=SCHEDULE & DRAWS |publisher=Bowls Australia |access-date=2 September 2023}} In the fours, her team won the bronze medal. One week later in the triples (partnering Tayla Bruce and Leeane Poulson), the team won the group undefeated before winning a tense quarter final against Malaysia and a semi final against Canada. In the final they met Australia, losing 16–9 but claiming the silver medal.
=Commonwealth Games=
Smith competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the women's triples competition and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, where she won a silver medal in the women's singles competition.{{cite web |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/commonwealth/bowls.htm |title=COMMONWEALTH GAMES MEDALLISTS - BOWLS |publisher=GRB Athletics}} She competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games as part of the women's pairs and women's fours teams. She won a bronze medal in the women's fours events alongside teammates Mandy Boyd, Selina Goddard and Amy McIlroy.{{cite news |first=Matt |last=Richens |date=28 July 2014 |title=Women's four claims bowls bronze in Glasgow |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/commonwealth-games/other-events/10317865/Womens-four-claims-bowls-bronze-in-Glasgow |publisher=Fairfax New Zealand |access-date=28 July 2014}}
She was selected as part of the New Zealand team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland.{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11982551 |title=Bowls: New Zealand team named for Commonwealth Games |publisher=New Zealand Herald}} In 2022, she competed in the women's triples and the Women's fours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.{{cite web|url=https://results.birmingham2022.com/#/athlete-details/53065|title=Official Games profile|publisher=2022 Commonwealth Games|access-date=4 August 2022}} In both the triples and the fours she secured a bronze medal.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/commonwealth-games/62440457 |title=England beat Malaysia to win women's triple lawn bowls gold |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=15 January 2023}}
=Asia Pacific=
Smith has won seven medals at the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships including four golds, the latest gold being at the 2019 Asia Pacific Bowls Championships in the Gold Coast, Queensland.{{cite web |url=https://sportsdesq.sportstg.com/portal/index.cfm?fuseaction=main&OrgID=16084 |title=Results Portal |publisher=Bowls Australia}}{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbowls.com/2019/06/28/asia-pacific-championships-gold-coast-australia-day-10/ |title=Asia Pacific Championships – Gold Coast, Australia – Day 10 |publisher=World Bowls}}
=National=
In addition to her international successes Smith has won eight titles at the New Zealand National Bowls Championships. She won the pairs four times in 2004 and 2011 (with Jo Edwards) and 2019 and 2021 (with Lisa Prideaux) and the fours in 2010, 2017, 2023 and 2025.{{cite web |url=https://bowlstawa.nz/titles/orgs/titles/2/w |title=New Zealand Championships |publisher=Bowls Tawa}}{{cite web |url=https://bowlsnewzealand.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2021-Womens-Pairs-Post-Section.pdf |title=Women's pairs draw & results |website=Bowls New Zealand |access-date=8 April 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{NZOC profile|val-smith}}
- {{CGF profile|49272|archive=20190411162137}}
- {{2014 Commonwealth Games profile|lawn_bowls/1025596/val_smith}}
- {{2018 Commonwealth Games profile|lawn-bowls/athlete-profile-n6022760-val-smith}}
- {{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|53065}}
{{2006 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2010 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2014 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2018 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{2022 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Val}}
Category:New Zealand female bowls players
Category:Bowls World Champions
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for New Zealand
Category:Bowls players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls players at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Category:Bowls players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Category:20th-century New Zealand sportswomen