Walsh rapt
Tom Walsh isn’t sure about the practicalities, but the Kiwi shot put ace is over the moon he finally has something to aim for in the Covid-19-ravaged sporting landscape in
2020. Finally now, all the hours of pushing serious tin under lockdown in his makeshift garage gym, of making the solo bike rides to the rudimentary throwing circle in his neighbourhood park, have some purpose. The competitor now has some competitions to fire up the engine for.
Global athletics chiefs have announced an international season of one-day meetings between August and October this year, including a salvaged Diamond League season comprising 10 stops.
There remain major question marks over the practicalities of staging international meets under travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the intent is to get the sport up and running at the highest level again at a time when it’s hoped borders will have reopened.
For New Zealand’s world-class athletes, such as Walsh, pole vaulter Eliza McCartney and possibly double Olympic shot put champion Dame Valerie Adams, the reconstituted international programme provides valuable top-end competition as they build towards a 2021 season that will feature the postponed world indoor champs and Olympics.
It also serves up a potential earner at a juncture when revenue streams have rather dried up. Walsh, back to back Diamond League men’s shot put champ, makes a decent chunk of change off athletics’ premier international series and told Stuff the news came as a decided boost as he stepped up his training in New Zealand’s imminent move from Alert Level three to two.
‘‘Of course whether they do go ahead in this new format will be interesting. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction for athletes to be given some hope of an international season, because that’s why we do it,’’ he said.
‘‘International travel for some people will be easier than others. Us being in the middle of nowhere, it might be a bit harder to get there. But it just is what it is.’’
And what it is, says the 28-year-old Walsh, is a muchneeded fillip for athletes who have done it pretty tough over the last couple of months.
‘‘It’s safe to say I was jealous of what the NRL has been able to do (restarting their season on May 28). Hopefully all countries start to get Covid-19 under control and therefore we can let this happen.
‘‘I do the sport to compete against the best guys in the world. I’m going to try to be there if I can. We all know the travel is going to be the part that’s not going to let me get there.
‘‘We’ve already figured out what we want to do in New Zealand for winter with training camps here and there, and if