Walsh satisfied with winning start
Kiwi Olympic shot put bronze medallist Tom Walsh has opened his northern hemisphere season in style, even if he continues to be overshadowed by bigthrowing Americans.
Walsh launched his world championships buildup with a solid throw of 21.64 metres to win the Saturday men’s shot put competition at the Tucson Elite Classic in Arizona.
The Cantab headed a quality field that included well-performed Americans Darrell Hill and Ryan Whiting with a consistent series of throws. Five of his six attempts sailed past the 21-metre mark.
The 25-year-old world indoors and Diamond League champion opened with a 21.45m marker, then followed that with 21.44m, 21.22m, his event-winning 21.64m, a foul and then 21.31m.
Walsh was more than satisfied with his first hitout off the back of a heavy training period. ‘‘Feel like there is a lot more still to come,’’ he said on Twitter.
But Walsh’s effort at the University of Arizona was overshadowed by a statement bomb landed by American Joe Kovacs at the Thursday night competition of the same meet.
The 27-year-old defending world champion and Olympic silver medallist blasted out a PB of 22.57m to easily win the first-night event with the best throw in 14 years by a men’s shot put exponent.
The mark eclipsed Kovacs’ previous best by 1cm.
The big American sent his winning toss out in the first round and then backed it up with 22.10m, a foul and a 22.26m fourth-round heave before passing on his final two attempts.
It was comfortably the biggest throw of the shot put year, surpassing the 22.15m compatriot and Olympic gold medallist Ryan Crouser managed to defeat Walsh on Auckland’s North Shore in February.
The big boppers of the throwing event will all line up at the year’s first Diamond League event in Eugene, Oregon, on May 27.