Walsh gets shot to avenge defeat
So, now we get to Walsh is made of.
New Zealand’s Olympic bronze medallist in the shot put had to play second fiddle to the gold medal winner from Rio in last Sunday’s Big Shot staged in Christchurch’s city centre.
American Ryan Crouser took the honours with 22.05m, the biggest throw ever seen in New Zealand.
Given that Crouser was coming off his winter training back in California, it was an emphatic statement by the Olympic champion and record-holder who threw 22.52m that memorable day in Rio. He has that 23-metre mark in his sights and his early-season effort is a strong indicator that it’s within his reach.
Walsh, the world indoors champion and overall Diamond League winner in 2016, finished second in Christchurch last Sunday when he tossed the silver sphere out to 21.46m, a useful enough effort in its own right given the year is all about peaking for August’s world championships in London.
Walsh has spent much of the seven days between the twin meets that Crouser and compatriot Ryan Whiting have travelled out for hosting the visiting big boppers. There was a trip up to Marlborough for a spot of fishing and hunting, and the burly Cantabrian has no doubt been undertaking his responsibilities in time-honoured fashion. see what Tom
But all week Walsh would also have been stewing on the result in Christchurch, and plotting a turnaround at the Auckland Track Challenge today.
That’s the sort of competitor he is. One defeat he can take on the chin, especially against the Olympic champion. But two in seven days would hurt the pride of Timaru deeply.
All indications are that Walsh will have to be out around that 22m mark at the ATC if he’s to unseat Crouser, as he did post-Rio last year in both Paris and Zurich en route to that Diamond League crown. Don’t put it past him. Adding to the intrigue around the finest shot put field put together on Kiwi soil will be the performance of Auckland’s Jacko Gill who would love to get among the marks being hit by Crouser and Walsh.
Gill was third in Christchurch, with a throw of 20.69m, finishing ahead of Whiting and wellperformed Aussie Damian Birkinhead. But the 22-year-old has already bettered the 21-metre mark this New Zealand summer (a PB of 21.01) and would love to do so again on his home track.
The heavyhitters of shot put won’t be the only stars on show at the ATC.
Kiwi Olympic pole vault bronze medallist Eliza McCartney looks set for a real shot at her own New Zealand record of 4.80m if conditions play ball. She cleared 4.70m on Wednesday night indoors at Britomart in a temporary arena and it’s not hard to imagine her improving significantly on that in more familiar environs.
American Morgan Leleux and Canadian Alysha Newman will keep her honest, while Kiwi youngster Olivia McTaggart will also look to continue her rapid improvements of the summer.
There is some quality on the track, too, in a meet that will start at 2.30pm, with the international events beginning at 3.45pm.
Kiwi Olympian Angie Petty will start favourite in the women’s 800m, though she could be pushed hard by compatriot Katherine Camp and Aussies Heidi See and Georgia Wassall.
The men’s 5000m, being paced by Nick Willis, also shapes as a topclass race, with New Zealand 1500m specialists Hamish Carson and Eric Speakman likely to be challenged by Australian Olympians Dave McNeill, Brett Robinson and Sam McEntee.