Walsh waltzes to final

OLYMPIC bronze medallist Tom Walsh needed just one throw to break a Games men’s shot put record and qualify for today’s final.

Walsh, who took silver behind Jamaican O’Dayne Richards four years ago in Glasgow, topped all opponents with 22.45m in yesterday’s qualifier.

He finished almost 2m ahead of the next-best qualifier, Nigerian Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, in what appears a procession to the Games gold medal.

Australian Damien Birkenhead qualified just behind Enekwechi in third while Richards – who held the previous Games record of 21.61m – came in fourth.