Val Smith

Val Smith
Personal information
Nationality	New Zealander
Born	29 July 1965 (age 58)
Sport
Sport	Lawn bowls
Club	United, Nelson and ; Merrylands, Sydney
Medal record
Representing New Zealand
World Outdoor Championships
Commonwealth Games
Asia Pacific Bowls Championships

Valerie Christine Smith (born 29 July 1965) is an international lawn bowler from New Zealand.^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[3] In 2023, she was selected as part of the team to represent New Zealand at the 2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.^[4] She participated in the women's triples and the women's fours events.^[5]^[6] 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.^[7] 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.^[8]

She was selected as part of the New Zealand team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Queensland.^[9] In 2022, she competed in the women's triples and the Women's fours at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.^[10] In both the triples and the fours she secured a bronze medal.^[11]

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.^[12]^[13]

National

In addition to her international successes Smith has won seven 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 and 2023.^[14]^[15]