Walsh ready to go big
Tom Walsh isn’t promising a monster throw at the Sir Graeme Douglas International in Auckland tomorrow, although the champion Kiwi shot put exponent would not bat an eyelid should one crash out.
The 27-year-old Cantabrian has been on both sides of the equation at Auckland’s premier summer meet. Two years ago he ripped out a personal best and Oceania record 22.67 metres to provide the crowning moment of the competition. It was a distance he never bettered for the remainder of the year.
Then last year he barely fired a shot as he was pushed into a surprise second place by Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki when he managed just 20.84m after opening with four straight no-throws.
By year’s end, of course, he was hitting uncharted territory of 22.90m to finish third by a centimetre in the greatest shot put competition of all time at the Doha world championships.
‘‘I’ve tried to forget about last year, so thanks for bringing it up,’’ said Walsh with a smile this week in Auckland.
‘‘It wasn’t the best . . . I had all the horsepower and all the beans, but just couldn’t line it up, couldn’t get the power through the shot and got pushy and tight.
‘‘It’s good to have a few comps like that. A failure here and there never does you any harm.’’
Tomorrow at the Waitakere track in west Auckland (5.30pm start) Walsh will again headline a classy meet featuring Kiwi Olympic legends Valerie Adams (women’s shot put) and Nick Willis (men’s 1500 metres), as well as inform 400m hurdler Portia Bing, sprinters Zoe Hobbs and Eddie Osei-Nketia and rising young pole vault star Olivia McTaggart.
Contingents from Australia, Japan and Canada will make up the international part of the meet.
But for true world-class action, Walsh might be the best bet, even in a field he could possibly beat with one hand tied behind his back after strongman Jacko Gill was a late defection with an ear infection.
Honest Aussie Damian Birkinhead is there to provide a semblance of competition and Walsh’s training partner Ryan Ballantyne is fresh off a PB 19.64m at the Porritt Classic and threatening to break into 20m territory.
But Walsh is thinking 22 metres and beyond as he searches for a signature throw, a la his great rival Ryan Crouser just last week when he blasted out a 22.60m put indoors in Albuquerque.
It’s certainly building, with the
Tom Walsh
burly Kiwi admitting to a degree of frustration as he’s opened his summer season with modest winning tosses of 21.10m (Potts Classic) and 21.35 (Hamilton’s Porritt meet).
After a record-breaking offseason pushing tin, the 2017 world champion and bronze medallist from Doha admits to some early frustration.
‘‘I was moving very well in Hamilton but just couldn’t quite get it through the shot which is generally one of the struggles at this time of the year. I have a lot more horsepower than ever . . . and I just don’t know what to do with it.’’
Walsh knows well enough something special could be just round the corner tomorrow.
‘‘I’m tracking the right way. There’s no reason why I couldn’t [throw big] but whether it happens or not relies on so many other things than just me being in great physical shape.’’
The big Kiwi has had the pressure taken off with the cancellation of the indoor world championships in China. He’ll head to the Brisbane Track Challenge a fortnight after the national championships in March, but won’t really step things up until the northern season gets under way as the main buildup for the Tokyo Olympics.
But after Doha, when Americans Joe Kovacs (22.91m) and Crouser (22.90) nudged him into the bronze medal slot, it’s no stretch to say he’s as motivated as he’s ever been.
‘‘I’m really happy with the offseason in the gym. The big push there is to get to PBs which we achieved.
‘‘Now it’s just about being in a fresh state and getting comfortable with that new speed.’’
And Crouser’s 22.60 in Alberquerque?
‘‘It adds some fuel to the fire but I would be surprised if he didn’t throw 22.60. It’s easier to throw far at home.
‘‘But what I pride myself on is being ready on the big day. I seem to nail that more often than not in recent years and that’s why I let my results do the talking.’’
Adams will continue her drive towards the 19m mark after winning efforts of 18.65m and 18.81m in her two meets thus far. With her Olympic spot already sealed, Walsh expects further improvement from the Kiwi legend.
‘‘There will always be an element of her wanting more which every top thrower wants when you’ve been at her level. But she seems to be enjoying throwing shot, and there’s probably a slightly different balance to what she had beforehand, which is a good thing,’’ he said.
Willis, chasing a time of 3:35.00 for the Olympic entry standard, faces Ireland’s Paul Robinson, Kiwis Eric Speakman and Julian Oakley and leading Aussies Craig Huffer and Rorey Hunter in a quality 1500m field.
Sprint sensation Osei-Nketia should face stiff competition from Aussies Jack Hale and Rohan Browning while Hobbs will put a four-race win streak on the line in the women’s short events against Rosie Elliott, Georgia Hulls and Australians Riley Day and Nana Owusu-Afriyie.
Bing, chasing a Tokyo Olympic qualifier of 55.40sec in the 400m hurdles, should be pushed by Aussie Sarah Klein, while McTaggart is expected to battle 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Nina Kennedy (Australia) in the women’s pole vault.
‘‘I’m really happy with the off-season in the gym. The big push there is to get to PBs which we achieved.’’