Walsh back on his game
Kiwi shot put world champion Tom Walsh was back on his game in the Czech Republic and back racking up another meeting record to add to his haul this golden season.
New Zealand’s Walsh bounced back brilliantly in his compelling head to head with giant American Ryan Crouser to secure another notable victory over the Olympic champion at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava.
The Kiwi, who has already secured world indoor and Commonwealth Games gold medals this year, blasted another winning throw out beyond the 22-metre mark (22.16m) to leave Crouser in his dust in the high-profile meet in the Czech Republic.
It was the fifth time this year that
Walsh has won a competition with a throw over 22 metres – sixth if you count the 22.45m he threw in qualifying at the Commonwealth Games.
More significantly it is his second victory over Crouser in their three latest matchups, following on from the notable success he had at the Oslo Diamond League meet where he tossed the shot out to 22.29m to snatch victory with his final throw.
Crouser leads their head to head for the year 4-2, after nailing two victories in the US to start the northern season.
Walsh sent out his meetrecord winning throw of 22.16m in the third round, shortly after Pole Michal Haratyk, the 2016 European silver medallist, had nailed a national record 22.08m to briefly take the lead.
He also broke the meet record in Oslo when he threw 22.29m to snatch victory by 8cm over Crouser in the final round.
Crouser struggled in Ostrava, fading to fourth with just 21.43m with his only legal throw of the night. In a highclass competition the top six in the field all threw further than 21 metres.
Walsh has a best for the year of 22.67m set in Auckland in March – the biggest throw in 15 years in men’s shot put – and is now cracking the 22-metre mark so regularly that the mythical 23m barrier must be next in his sights.