Kiwi’s shine at World Indoor Champs

New Zealand athletes have made headlines at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing, China.

Tom Walsh won gold in the men’s shot put, while Hamish Kerr earned silver in the high jump.

Tom Walsh, from Canterbury, threw 21.65 meters in the first round—his best throw of the season. That effort kept him in the lead the entire event, beating out Americans Roger Steen and Adrian Piperi. This win marks Walsh’s third World Indoor title, after victories in 2016 and 2018. Despite being ranked eighth going into the competition, the 31-year-old made a big comeback after injury troubles last year.

Walsh has now won six medals at the World Indoor Championships. He also holds Olympic and World Championship medals, and he earned $70,000 for his victory in Nanjing. Next, he’ll compete in the U.S. and Europe to prepare for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Hamish Kerr, New Zealand’s Olympic gold medalist in the high jump, cleared 2.28 meters. He narrowly missed 2.31 meters, giving the gold to South Korea’s Woo Sang-hyeok. Woo had also won the title in 2022. Kerr finished second thanks to fewer missed jumps, and Jamaican Raymond Richards came third.

It was Kerr’s first big event since winning Olympic gold in Paris, where he jumped a personal best of 2.36 meters.

Other New Zealand athletes had mixed results. Maddi Wesche, an Olympic silver medalist, placed 15th in women’s shot put, and Kaia Tupu-South was 16th. Maia Ramsden and Laura Nagel didn’t advance in the women’s 1500 meters, and Tiaan Whelpton reached the 60-meter semi-final but finished last. Alison Andrews-Paul missed the 800-meter final.