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| Nationality | New Zealander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1965-07-29)29 July 1965 (age 59) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Lawn bowls | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | United, Nelson and Merrylands, Sydney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Valerie Christine Smith (born 29 July 1965) is an internationallawn bowler from New Zealand.[1]
Smith won abronze medal at the2004 World Outdoor Bowls Championship inLeamington Spa before winning three medals four years later at the2008 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in the singles and pairsgold medal and team event (silver medal) inChristchurch,New Zealand. At the2012 World Outdoor Bowls Championship, Smith won two silver medals in the singles and pairs respectively. In 2016, she won a bronze medal in thefours at the2016 World Outdoor Bowls Championship inChristchurch withAngela Boyd,Katelyn Inch andKirsten Edwards.[2]
In 2020, she was selected for the2020 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Australia but the event was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[3] In 2023, she was selected as part of the team to represent New Zealand at the2023 World Outdoor Bowls Championship.[4] She participated in thewomen's triples and thewomen's fours events.[5][6] In the fours, her team won the bronze medal. One week later in the triples (partneringTayla Bruce andLeeane 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.
Smith competed at the2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, thewomen's triples competition and at the2010 Commonwealth Games inDelhi, where she won asilver medal in thewomen's singles competition.[7] She competed at the2014 Commonwealth Games as part of thewomen's pairs andwomen's fours teams. She won abronze medal in the women's fours events alongside teammatesMandy Boyd,Selina Goddard andAmy McIlroy.[8]
She was selected as part of theNew Zealand team for the2018 Commonwealth Games on theGold Coast inQueensland.[9] In 2022, she competed in thewomen's triples and theWomen's fours at the2022 Commonwealth Games.[10] In both the triples and the fours she secured a bronze medal.[11]
Smith has won seven medals at theAsia Pacific Bowls Championships including four golds, the latest gold being at the 2019 Asia Pacific Bowls Championships in theGold Coast, Queensland.[12][13]
In addition to her international successes Smith has won eight titles at theNew Zealand National Bowls Championships. She won the pairs four times in 2004 and 2011 (withJo Edwards) and 2019 and 2021 (with Lisa Prideaux) and the fours in 2010, 2017, 2023 and 2025.[14][15]
