Tom Walsh has won a bronze medal in the Shot put at the World Indoor Championships.
Walsh was in good form equalling the Oceania record with a throw of 22.31 metres.
The 30-year-old set the tone by taking an early lead in round one, powering the shot out to a huge new season’s best effort of 22.29m. However, his rival and Olympic champion Ryan Crouser of the USA, responded with the very next throw of the competition unleashing a 22.44m put.
Walsh registered a foul in round two and posted a 21.78m mark in the third round but the major move was made by Brazilian Darlan Romani, who set a championship record of 22.53m to elevate himself into gold and relegate the New Zealander to bronze.
Further fouls followed in rounds four and five for the Christchurch-based athlete before he left his best until last to match his Oceania indoor record set at the 2018 edition of these championships with a 22.31m toss.
Unfortunately, it did change the final podium order as Romani, who finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, achieved the greatest feat of his career and Crouser sustained a first defeat since the 2019 World Championships.
In other events, Hamish Kerr has finished third in the high jump. He becomes the first New Zealander to win a global high jump medal.
Four times he surpassed the 39-year-old national record of Roger Te Puni.
A second time clearance at 2.31m put him firmly in the medal picture and although 2.34m was just beyond him, he shared bronze with Italy’s charismatic Olympic high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi.
The gold was secured by 2022 world number one Sanghyeok Woo of South Korea, who successfully cleared 2.34m with his first attempt.
