Walsh winds up in Big Shot
It’s only 17 days into the month but Tom Walsh has already won a world indoor championship, a national title and two hometown events.
Walsh barely broke a sweat in chilly conditions as he comfortably took out The Big Shot at the Retro Sports Facility in central Christchurch on Friday evening.
Fresh from setting a New Zealand residents’ record at his hometown event – the Timaru Super Shot – on Wednesday, Walsh won the second event of the Athletics New Zealand International Series with a 21.65-metre throw in his adopted home of Christchurch.
His victory was a redemption of sorts following his second placing in the 2017 edition of The Big Shot behind USA powerhouse Ryan Crouser.
Walsh’s 22.06m in Timaru was good enough to beat his own previous record of 21.87m, but he was unable to register a 22 metre plus effort in Christchurch.
It counts for nothing in the wash-up, but Walsh’s final warmup throw before the competition started on Friday evening comfortably sailed over the 22-metre mark.
‘‘For me to throw consistently around the 21.50 (metres) mark, I’m really happy with that but also frustrated,’’ Walsh said. ‘‘I felt like I was sitting back off it and I wasn’t getting everything through it probably as well as what I was the other night in Timaru.’’
He started with a foul before his next three attempts yielded his winning distance of 21.65m, 21.50m and 21.60m before finishing with two more fouls.
Walsh, the world indoor and outdoor world champion who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, was a class above the small but quality field.
O’Dayne Richards (Jamaica) was second with a best of 20.61m and Canada’s Tim Nedow – who did not contest the final three rounds – with a 20.50m was third.
Walsh, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, said subconsciously he was not at his peak following on from the world indoors and still four weeks out from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games – especially with two competitions in three days.
‘‘I know if I had of really got after one today I would have been pushing that 22 (metre) mark but I didn’t quite get there which was disappointing,’’ Walsh said.
Walsh, 26, has had a hectic schedule in the last few weeks.
So far in the month of March, he has won a world indoor championship in Birmingham, won the first event of the Athletics New Zealand International Series in his hometown of Timaru and The Big Shot. He has one more competitive event before he heads to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at Waitakere on March 25.